We recently connected with Dell Cullum and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dell, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I didn’t really come up with the idea. The idea came to me. Being in the field of wildlife rescue, rehab and education for 30+ years, I gained a deep passion for the outdoors and its wild residents. When I moved back to my hometown after an absence of thirty years, I found a completely different place then when I left. The population had grown significantly and lots were now stages for huge homes or lots of little ones. At the end of Long Island, NY, this made for difficult living for many wildlife species that had quickly loss a large, relied on habitat space. Along with the many vehicles to dodge and lack of healthy foods, wild animals in the Hamptons had become considered pests rather than beautiful wild animals that we share the earth with. One step further, several “Pest Control” companies, started trapping certain wildlife species and euthanizing them, by direction of NYSDEC law, at the location they were trapped (drowning was the preferred method), OR they were trapped via a lethal trap. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they charge their customers $800 to $1200 to do it. I instantly decided it was my calling to change these killing machines by doing the same job HUMANELY and CHEAPER, then share a bit of preventative KNOWLEDGE, thus taking away all their customers and saving animals. I opened Hampton Wildlife Removal & Rescue which eventually would sprout Wildlife Rescue of East Hampton (non profit 501c3 wildlife rescue organization), I did wildlife rehab with my wife Dee, visited schools and summer camps to do wildlife presentations, lectured at Long Island Natural History Conference, wrote a children series to teach kids the importance of wildlife, produced and hosted 3 wildlife related television shows on LTVEH.org, etc., but within my first year I had wiped out all my competition. All the pest control companies stopped offering trapping and I loved to be busy. I refused to kill any of my animals referring to the fact that NO STATE had the right to make me kill ANYTHING, or tell me I had to. The law was soon abolished. I took the subject of wildlife and covered every angle to benefit their existence in a shrinking world for them. I got folks caring about their wildlife again. Caring and enjoying them rather than thinking of ways to get rid of them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born in Amagansett, NY and as far as I can remember I’ve always loved animals. As I moved around the country, the interest never wavered. I felt a certain closeness to wild animals and began doing wildlife rescue and rehab in the mid 1980’s. When I wasn’t doing hands on work with wildlife in the field, I was reading books and attending lectures and studies related to wildlife and wildlife rehabilitation. I saved a blind screech owl from euthanasia and she (Athena) became part of my education presentation, along with my Pueblan Milk snake BOB. Educating folks became my favorite part of my work and I rolled that into a television series, then into a childrens book series titled “The Adventures of Scurry the Squirrel”. When I returned to my hometown I realized the wildlife was suffering from loss of habitat and a general misconception and dislike toward our beautiful wildlife. These animals were perceived as pests and therefore there was an abundance of pest control companies trapping and killing our animals. I quickly started a “HUMANE” trapping business to put all the other companies out of business. My vast knowledge, love for animals and popularity helped me achieve my goal within a year, knocking ALL other pest control companies out of the trapping business. I would go on to produce two more wildlife related series for Hamptons Local Television, write more books, visit over a hundred schools, summer camps, nature clubs, etc, speak at Natural History Conferences and start a non profit organization strictly for wildlife rescue in the Hamptons. I became so well known and a frequent guest on various radio shows and live events. I worked for and became very friendly with all the celebrities in the Hamptons, where I would eventually earn the nickname of “Wildlife Expert of the Stars”. In three short years I had rescued over 800 wildlife animals, rehabbed over 400 and successfully executed over 300 wildlife remediations. At the same time I started a huge campaign against beach and roadside trash and litter removal and after mustering a huge group of followers, I created the annual Shoreline Sweep which became the largest annual litter removal mega group in the entire state of NY and possibly the country.
Then, in April of 2016, while removing a caged raccoon off a roof before an oncoming storm, I slipped off my ladder and fell, breaking my back in two places. Although against my surgeons recommendations, I returned to wildlife rescue only a couple months after my accident. This created issues with my back, and after only a few months, I knew I could no longer do the work I loved so much. I reluctantly retired from Wildlife Rescue and focused more on education. Still, calls came in constantly and I found it very difficult to turn down any opportunity to help animals that needed help. It became extremely overwhelming both mentally and physically, and I pushed my body to the ends of my limits. The only way I could save myself from becoming totally incapacitated, was to move.
I left the Hamptons in 2020 and moved north to Massachusetts. I presently do small mammal & bird rescues and rehabilitation, and lots of educational visits. I continue to attend annual wildlife conferences around the country to increase my knowledge base and I take calls daily to answer wildlife questions, give advice and generally spread the word about the beauty and importance of our wildlife.
I still do many interviews and speak at events. Presently, a film is being made about my work with wildlife over the years. I hope it will inspire others to be kind, patient and understanding of our wildlife.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had an Auto Glass business when I was younger. When I came out of the US Navy, I went to work for an auto glass company and learned the ropes. I soon was promoted to operating my own store for the company. I would eventually leave to start my own business. I became extremely successful. Years and years of pushing broken windshields out of cars with my head created neck issues and migraine headaches. I just couldn’t do it anymore and had to sell my company. Not being one to sit around doing nothing, I immediately began thinking of a work plan for my future. I would eventually find work on a Texas Ranch (as I always wanted to be a cowboy, lol) and worked my way up to foreman. This is where I got more involved with working with animals. After a bobcat killed a mother deer on the ranch, I quickly found myself bottle feeding and raising a young motherless fawn. My love for this work was instant and an absolute beginning to my future work with all wildlife.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Absolutely. Although I was quite fortunate to achieve the status I earned, and I hold no regrets, in hind-sight I feel I would have really enjoyed staying in school and becoming either a veterinarian, a wildlife biologist or a Forest Ranger. At 61, I sometimes feel I should revisit one of those goals, but then my body reminds me it might not be as simple as I would hope. That’s why I continue to take course after course and attend as many wildlife related conferences that I’m able. My motto is, “You can never know it all when it relates to the wildlife”.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ImaginationNature.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-2-hk96kW4eM2v-ioPuLQ

Image Credits
Dee Cullum Vincent Easevoli Doug Kuntz Billy Strong