Keeper Stories – Thursday, March 30

Hello everybody. The name is Zach Bulich and I am a brand-new keeper in Zoo Atlanta’s Herpetology Department. In this story, I plan on telling you a little about myself and the animals I have cared for and will be caring for. When it has come to animals I cared for at my previous job at the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, Illinois, I worked with a wide variety of different reptiles and amphibians. These animals ranged in size from a poison dart frog all the way up to 18-foot pythons and 10-foot crocodiles. The largest being an Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius). She clocked in just under 10 feet long and weighed about 375 pounds. Crocodilians and monitor lizards are my passion. These are my favorites of the reptiles and I have had the pleasure of working with many species from both groups. I was even able to attend the AZA Crocodilian Biology and Management course last year at St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, Florida. While there I learned so much about different crocodilians and their care from some of the experts in the field. We learned all manner of things about how to manage crocodilians, including how to safely restrain them. I even got to observe alligators in the wild…at a safe distance of course!

Here at Zoo Atlanta my job will be taking care of many of the reptiles and amphibians in Scaly Slimy Spectacular. Of those animals, I will be working with our four American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). These animals are extremely intelligent, and I will get to use my crocodilian experience to help develop a training program for them. I am looking forward to working with these animals and some of our venomous reptiles as well such as the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). I am very excited to be here at Zoo Atlanta and am look forward to seeing everyone who visits the Zoo. Please come by Scaly Slimy Spectacular to see our amazing animals and be sure to say a special hello to myself and the gators!
Zach Bulich
Keeper II, Herpetology