Martha Fischer has been with the Saint Louis Zoo for over 20 years, serving the last decade as its Curator of Mammals/Ungulates and Elephants. One of her primary duties is the management of the Zoo’s Asian elephant breeding and research program, overseeing all aspects of the management of one bull and seven cows. Martha has been a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Elephant Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) for the past 5 years, currently serving as the Secretary for this committee. She chairs the AZA Equid TAG, is Vice-Chair of the AZA Antelope TAG and the Coordinator of several AZA species breeding programs (Grevy’s Zebra and Speke’s gazelle).

Martha also serves on the IUCN Equid Specialist Group and the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group. In 2004 the Saint Louis Zoo launched its WildCare Institute which takes a focused approach to helping save ecosystems around the globe. Comprised of twelve conservation centers targeting specific regions and the animals which inhabit them, the WildCare Institute works towards a sustainable environmental future. Martha serves as the Director for one of the twelve centers within the WildCare Institute - the Horn of Africa Conservation Center. This Center plays an active role in conservation and education programs involving all of the unique species found in the Horn of Africa, including African elephants. She has served on the board for the International Elephant Foundation for the past 3 years and the Saint Louis Zoo supports several field conservation programs for Asian and African elephants in the wild.