Michael Hutchins

Michael Hutchins (born 1951) is an American zoologist and, conservationist.
Early career
Curatorial Intern in Mammalogy, Conservation Biologist, and Coordinator of Research, Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Hutchins began his career with the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo. Serving first as a curatorial intern in the Zoo's Department of Mammalogy, he was later promoted to conservation biologist and coordinator of research after graduating with his PhD in 1984 from the University of Washington in Seattle. As Conservation Biologist, Hutchins developed a coordinated research program at the Bronx Zoo, including the development of protocols for working with local universities, processing biological materials requests, and adhering to USDA APHIS rules regarding animal welfare. Many seminal papers on zoo research program design were published and served as a model for other zoological institutions worldwide. While at the UW, he served as a graduate instructor and acting assistant professor, teaching courses in animal behavior and behavioral ecology.
Doctoral dissertation and related publications
For his PhD dissertation, Hutchins studied an introduced population of Rocky Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) in Olympic National Park, Washington and subsequently published a number of articles on the behavioral ecology and management of this unique population of Rocky Mountain goats.
Consultant, Australian Tourist Commission
Hutchins assisted in a project designed to promote Australian natural history in North America. In 1985, he traveled extensively for six consecutive months in Australia at Australian Tourist Commission expense, focusing primarily on national parks, wildlife areas, and zoological parks. He wrote several popular articles on Australian fauna and habitats for North American, Australian, and Japanese publications, including Animal Kingdom, Islands Magazine, The Living Bird, Australian Geographic, Anima, and Animals. Information collected also became the basis for Gerry Ellis, Sharon Cohen, and Mark Kestigian's Outdoor Traveler's Guide to Australia.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
Director/William Conway Chair of Conservation and Science, AZA
He joined the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 1990, becoming the organization's first endowed chair, the Director/William Conway Chair of Conservation and Science. In this capacity, he oversaw the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative, scientifically managed captive breeding program for endangered species, developed the concept of strategic collection planning, developed and managed the AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund, established the AZA Contraception and Small Population Management Advisory Groups, and was a proponent for increasing the contributions of accredited zoos and aquariums to in situ conservation, which has now resulted in a collective contribution of over $130 million annually.
The AZA is the one of the world's premier regional zoological associations, representing over 230 accredited zoos and aquariums and over 6,000 professionals.
While at AZA, Hutchins coordinated a network of several hundred volunteer program coordinators and committee members for the Association's extensive member-driven conservation and science programs, organized into 46 Taxon Advisory Groups, 110 Species Survival Plans, 13 Scientific Advisory Groups, 5 Fauna Interest Groups, and 300+ Studbooks/Population Management Plans.
Miscellaneous publications on biology and husbandry of rare zoo fauna
While a research associate at the Woodland Park Zoological Gardens in Seattle, WA, Curatorial Intern, Conservation Biologist and Director of Research at the Bronx Zoo, NY and Director/William Conway Chair at AZA in Silver Spring, MD, Hutchins and his colleagues conducted and published research on the biology, husbandry, management and conservation of a wide range of little-known birds, mammals and reptiles, including birds of paradise, trumpeters, hornbills, snow leopards, tree kangaroos, and Komodo dragons.

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