Michael Kreger, P.H D.

Dr. Michael Kreger is a wildlife conservation consultant, certified paleontology interpreter, and educator with more than 30 years of leadership experience advancing wildlife protection, field conservation programs, and national and international conservation policy. He serves on conservation committees for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Zoological Association of America, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and The Wildlife Society. He joined the Colossal Biosciences Conservation Advisory Board in 2022.

Dr. Kreger was the inaugural Vice President of Conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where he built and led the Zoo’s global conservation portfolio, overseeing field projects, grantmaking, strategic partnerships, and environmental sustainability initiatives. He is a founder of the IUCN SSC Center for Species Survival: Asian Elephant and the Wider Caribbean Manatee Alliance. Earlier in his career, he served for 20 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including roles in International Affairs as a wildlife biologist and within Migratory Birds as Deputy Chief of Bird Habitat Conservation and Assistant to the Assistant Director. Throughout his federal service, he played a key role in developing wildlife policy and regulatory frameworks.

Dr. Kreger earned his doctorate from the University of Maryland, where his research examined how captive-rearing methods influenced the survival of reintroduced whooping crane populations. He has authored or co-authored more than 140 publications on wildlife conservation and management and animal well-being.