The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Crocodile expert to attack skin trade

Brazaitis has wide experience working with animals of all types. He was the superintendent of the Bronx Zoo, curator of animals at the Central Park Wildlife Center and is a widely recognized expert on endangered species. Recently, he released a book, "You Belong in a Zoo," in which he recalled his experiences working with animals.

"I also do field work," Brazaitis said. "I surveyed crocodiles in Brazil and did population counts of saltwater crocodiles on the island of Palau. In November, I'll be going to Guyana."

He has also investigated cobras and frogs in different countries.

Brazaitis was brought to Marquette with the help of his wife, Myrna Watanabe, a science journalist.

"We've been looking to expand our seminars (in the department) to make them more interesting to more students, and I called Myrna to ask her to speak on her profession," said Brian Unsworth, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. "She accepted and then brought up Peter."

"Peter would be coming with me on the trip," said Watanabe, who had contacted Unsworth a couple of years ago while doing research for an article on college biology lab programs. "So I brought him up to (Unsworth) as another possible speaker, and he thought, how could I turn down the guy from the Central Park Zoo?"

In his speech, which he has titled "Science, Politics and the Case from Hell," Brazaitis will focus on the trade in crocodile skins and how it works, from the capture of a crocodile to its skinning and sale. He will also detail the markets for crocodile skins and products that come from it.

"I'm going to take the audience from the animals in the wild to a handbag, as it would appear in a department store," he said. He plans to use a case history and forensic science in his presentation to illustrate his point.

He admitted that he's not quite as flashy or well known as Steve Irwin, better known as the "Crocodile Hunter." He said that he has not considered making nature videos, although he has appeared a few times on television nature shows.

"What Steve Irwin does is entertaining and educational, and he does help the conservation cause, but we don't do those things in the zoo business," Brazaitis said. "We want to do things that pose little risk to the animals or people involved."

Brazaitis described his method for determining the gender of a crocodile.

"Basically, you stick a finger in its anal vent and feel for the male organs," he said. "If they're there, the crocodile is a male. If not, it's a female."

Unsworth said he expects the talk to be entertaining, although it addresses a serious issue.

Brazaitis "told me that if I see an aging man walking around with a crocodile handbag, that's him," Unsworth said. "We're looking forward to his talk very much."

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