Craig Pelke
Board Member
San Antonio Zoo
Craig began his zoo career in 1991 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management, Zoology, and Captive Wildlife Management. Currently he serves as the Director of Ectotherms for San Antonio Zoological Society, where he leads both the Herpetology and Aquarium/Life Support Systems departments. Along with managing San Antonio Zoo’s ectotherm residents, he actively participates in ex situ and in situ conservation projects and opportunities ranging from pupfish to rattlesnakes. Previous field work has taken Craig to Chile, Thailand, Panama, Indonesia, and Mexico, and domestically in Wisconsin, Virginia, New Mexico, and Texas. Craig assisted the Blue Iguana Recovery Project for numerous years in the 2000s, participating in the initial reintroductions and telemetry work on Grand Cayman, and has served on the Cyclura SSP steering committee for over a decade. Craig also holds appointments on several other steering committees with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), maintains the AZA studbooks for Mexican Lance-headed Rattlesnakes and Ridge-nosed Rattlesnakes, and serves on the Zoological Association of America’s (ZAA) Accreditation Committee, while also participating in their accreditation inspections.