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Readers may finish sentences by saying what they "spy" in pictures of a visit to the zoo. ... Read more

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A brief discussion of the importance and operation of a zoo accompanies capsule descriptions and unusual facts about a large variety of zoo animals. ... Read more

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Zoos offer a glimpse of a rich and diverse animal world that few would ever see in its natural setting. Many zoos devote themselves to research, education, and the preservation of endangered species. Even so, some people question the morality of imprisoning animals. (20020201) ... Read more

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Describes how and where zoo animals sleep. ... Read more

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Pandas, zebras, monkeys, and a host of colorful critters are all on display in At the Zoo. Toddlers will love this perfect introduction to their favorite wild animals. ... Read more

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A behind-the-scenes look at how monkeys and apes live in captivity covers feeding, handling, creating a comfortable environment, and caring for baby primates. ... Read more

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London Underground posters, originally intended to advertise destinations served by the Underground, are now regarded as works of art in their own right. Posters from the great age of graphic design, the 1920s and 1930s, now sell in great numbers in reproduction. The original artworks, even the original posters, are extremely valuable. This collection, from the archives of the London Transport Museum, features all the London Zoo posters from 1910 to the present day, and contains detailed captions, notes on the artists, and a brief history of the Zoo itself. It is a companion volume to "By Underground to Kew". ... Read more

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Helping children prepare for the learning challenges that lie ahead!

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From catching alligators in the reservoirs of New York and capturing giant crocodiles in Venezuela and giant frogs in West Africa to finding mummified human heads in a Bronx apartment, eels on a bus, cobras on the loose, and crocodiles that make change—a memoir of one man’s career working with exotic reptiles and other animals.

After the teenage Peter Brazaitis brought home one creepy crawly creature too many, his stepmother declared, “You are an animal, and you belong in a zoo!” He took her at her word. He went directly from high school in Brooklyn to a job at the Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo, where he stayed for more than thirty years, eventually becoming superintendent of reptiles. He later became curator of the Central Park Zoo, and continues to work with law enforcement as a forensic specialist in the fight to stop illegal importation and slaughter of reptiles for the luxury exotic-leather industry. (His effectiveness at this would earn him the moniker “The Bald-Headed Snake Keeper in the Bronx.”) You Belong in a Zoo! presents the amazing experiences Brazaitis has had in more than four decades of working with wild animals.

Enlightening, funny, and often outrageous, You Belong in a Zoo! is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at zoos, animal people, and some of nature’s most extraordinary creatures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

You Belong in a Zoo; Tales from a Lifetime Spent witjh Cobras, Crocs, and other Creatures
This is a must read for people with herpetological interests.It's also a great read for people with a love of animals who knew New York from the mid-1950s until now.Peter Brazaitis writes not only with a high degree of expertise about animals but with a wry sense of humor that is both charming and captivating.It's hard to read this without thinking..."Gee...I wish that I'd have met and known him. I'm sure that I'd like him."

I belong in a zoo, too
I'm a total herp nut, so this book was right up my alley.It was easy, interesting reading and read like the author was there talking to me, telling stories about his life and experiences.This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to go into zookeeping, regardless of if they see themselves working with herps or not.Incompitent bosses, visitors you'd like to chuck head first into the [carnivorous animal] exhibit, never enough money, escaped animals...it doesn't matter what species you work with, you *will* encounter all of that and more.All keepers need to have their minds on what they're doing and check the locks and follow directions, and Pete's herp house stories clearly illustrate why and what can happen when you're sloppy.

Fangtastic
As a child, Peter Brazaitis' stepmom told him "You belong in a zoo!" He decided she had a point.

This book is part biography, part recollection of interesting episodes in his career. Brazaitis went on to work at the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo in New York, and his specialty is reptiles.

Many people find scaly animals to be scary or repulsive, but Brazaitis helps to bring some uunderstanding and fondness for them to the reader. He has a talent for storytelling. He raises the tension in a scary story about an escaped cobra. He transports you to a very different kind of society as he describes a trip to capturte goliath frogs in Africa. He brings insight into how zoos are run and how they've evolved. And more than once he gets a lot of chuckles from landmark human stupidity. (Such as the lawyer with a unique idea about the digestive + reproductive systems, or the true pinheads who seem to think venomous snakes make for interesting pets.)

If you're interested in animals, you'll find "You Belong in a Zoo!"to be an excellent read.

Great "Behind the Scenes" Account of Zookeeping
"You Belong in a Zoo" is Peter Brazaitis' tale of his storied career caring for and studying reptiles.Brazaitis' served as Superintendant of reptiles at the Bronx Zoo and as Curator of the Central Park Zoo, and has also acted as an advocate for endangered reptiles through his work to prevent the illegal importation and killing of these animals.Brazaitis of course has a wealth of stories to tell - some humorous, some frightening, and some a combination of the two.After describing 15 foot long King Cobras capable of rising to look a full grown man in the eye, Brazaitis relates the story of his attempt to capture one of these fascinating but deadly creatures by precariously balancing above a pool of crocodiles to reach the ceiling panel where the snake is hiding.Brazaitis' take on reptiles, and animals in general, is interesting. He obviously has a deep respect and admiration for animals, especially the reptiles he has spent a lifetime studying, but his view of animals seems different from that of some of the more radical animal rights activists.One could also argue that Brazaitis' work - especially his work with customs officials to stop the smugggling of endangered reptiles - has done more good than some of the antics of the more extreme members of PETA, for example.Brazaitis writes in an earnest style with some dry wit thrown in, and this style is quite effective in relating the story of his career."You Belong In a Zoo" is an entertaining tale of reptiles and other animals, and an enjoyable autobiography of a man who has obviously "found his niche" in caring for these creatures.

Excellent Reading
This is a great book. I find myself laughing at times, grimacing at others.

The author has a great understanding of snakes and other reptiles. His respect for crocodiles comes across very clearly in this book. He also has a great understanding of human nature and some of the stories he tells are touching and sensitive. Others are hilarious and I laughed out loud while reading this book

The book is well written and enjoyable. It is easy to read and grabs you right from the opening pages. Even when he is lecturing to the reader or providing information, it is done in context and is very interesting.

Well worth every penny.
Enjoy. ... Read more

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Amazing facts about truly fantastic animals
Karen Lloyd-Diviny's artwork illustrating Richard Morecroft and Alison Mackay's informative text about the kinds of animals a visitor to the zoo would be apt to encounter is of museum quality work. Zoo Album takes the reader on a tour of various amazing real animals living in zoos. The animals' keepers offer insightful comments about a Komodo dragon so fearless that the keeper could simply take it for a walk to its new cage rather than ship it in a box, and the tasmanian devil who loves to scavenge, a talent her keepers encourage by dragging the food around her living area and putting it in a different hiding place every time. A fact-filled picturebook introducing young readers to amazing facts about truly fantastic animals.
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On a rainy day in May 1988, a lowland gorilla named Willie B. stepped outdoors for the first time in twenty-seven years, into a new landscape immersion exhibit. Born in Africa, Willie B. had been captured by an animal collector and sold to a zoo. During the decades he spent in a cage, zoos stopped collecting animals from the wild and Americans changed the ways they wished to view animals in the zoo. Zoos developed new displays to simulate landscapes like the Amazon River basin and African forests. Exhibits similar to animals' natural habitats began to replace old-fashioned animal houses.

But such displays are only the most recent effort of zoos to present their audiences with an authentic experience of nature. Since the first zoological park opened in the United States in Philadelphia in 1874, zoos have promised their visitors a journey into the natural world. And for more than a century they have been popular places for education and recreation: every year more than 130 million Americans go to zoos to look at the animals and enjoy a day outdoors.

The first book-length history of American zoos, Animal Attractions examines the meaning of nature in the city by looking at the ways zoos have assembled and displayed their animal collections. Situated literally and culturally in the American middle landscape, zoos are concrete expressions of longstanding tensions between wildness and civilization, science and popular culture, education and entertainment. In their efforts to promote nature appreciation, they reveal much about how our culture envisions the natural world and the human place in it and how these ideas have changed. ... Read more

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the History of Zoos
Excellent.An engaging read and a well-balanced critique of zoos (primarily American zoos) over the past 100-odd years.The debate over animal rights is covered throughout, primarily as a progression of measures.Also, the view of zoos as humane/inhumane places for animal life is quite an old debate, as shown well here.Recommended for both students of museology and casual readers. ... Read more

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Presents facts about a variety of zoo animals, from the American alligator to Grant's zebra. ... Read more