Milwaukee, Wisconsin animal advocate, Terry Cullen, founded his first conservation organization, the Cullen Vivarium, in 1963. Then, in 1988 he launched the nonprofit organization Dragonwood Wildlife Conservancy. As director of both organizations, Mr. Cullen engages in various activities which help to enhance the survival of endangered and threatened species, as well as their habitats.
Mr. Cullen’s work involves not only caring for animals, but engaging in research as well. He also oversees numerous captive breeding programs to help ensure that gene banks will be maintained for over fifty threatened/endangered species. Other activities include habitat purchase and preservation, husbandry and nutritional research and application, herpetology, genetics, ethology studies and species classification work. In addition, he is deeply involved with public and professional education initiatives- all with a special emphasis on conservation.
Some of his work over the years includes the rediscoveries of several animals that were thought to be extinct (e.g., a species of rock iguana; an unusual tropical toad). Other achievements include establishing a conservation fund/program for the critically endangered Chinese alligator and creating innovative medical therapies for reptiles. Mr. Cullen has also been involved with long-term research on all species of anacondas, with particular emphasis on the green anaconda.
Some of his professional affiliations include:
IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature)
SSC (Species Survival Commission)
Senior member of the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG)
CSG Human/Crocodilian Interaction Group
CSG Veterinary Group
Crocodilian DNA Group
American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists
The Chicago Herpetological Society