Martha Fischer started her career as a Red Rocks keeper at the Saint Louis Zoo in 1986 and has served the Zoo in various roles over her 36-year career. Most recently, Martha served the Zoo as its Curator of Mammals/Ungulates and Elephants for over two decades, contributing to the strategic vision for the department, as well as mentoring a large team of animal care professionals and overseeing animal care and welfare of a diverse assortment of species, from 1996 to 2019.

On July 1, 2019, Martha was promoted to General Curator/WildCare Park, the future home of the Zoo’s Conservation and Animal Science Center as well as a public safari park and outdoor area for family adventures.
Martha holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, two master’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Public Affairs, and a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Missouri- Columbia.

In 2004, the Saint Louis Zoo launched its WildCare Institute, which takes a focused approach to helping save ecosystems around the globe. Martha directs one of the seventeen Centers within the WildCare Institute, the Center for Conservation in the Horn of Africa, which was established to support community-based conservation of threatened species, such as the endangered Grevy’s zebra, in the underserved Horn of Africa region. Martha also champions the Rhino Conservation Program, which was established to monitor and protect endangered black rhinos and white rhinos in Africa.
Internationally, Martha is a Co-Founder and has been the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Grevy’s Zebra Trust in Kenya since the organization’s inception in 2007. She was a Director on the International Elephant Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2005 until 2019. Martha is a member of three Specialist Groups through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the Antelope Specialist Group, the Equid Specialist Group, and the Asian Elephant Specialist Group.
Martha is an active member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a leader in AZA’s programs. She is the past-Chair of the AZA Elephant Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) for which she received two AZA Significant Achievement Awards. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the Grevy’s Zebra Species Survival Plan and is a member of the AZA Bat Taxon Advisory Group Steering Committee.