Dorian G Drage - Owner/Vice President/Handler

Background Summary

Over twelve years experience in exotic animal husbandry in various professional and volunteer capacities.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology, supplemented with internships in avian care.

Complete understanding of a wide variety of exotic species, and their appropriate care.

Excellent reputation within the Biology community, and extensive network of connections in this area.

Select Experience

Southern Utah University Zoology Research Field Program
Program Assistant and Teaching Aide

For the past four years, I have served as assistant and teaching aide for the Southern Utah University Zoology Field Research Program conducuted annually at the La Jolla tide pools in southern California. As program assistant, I help undergraduate SUU students design and adapt research projects dealing with a wide variety of mammalian, invertebrate, and avian species, including: insects, intertidal invertebrates, sea lions, seals, sea anenomes, urchins, crustaceans, gulls, turns, pelicans, cormorants, and many others. I participated in the program as a student in 2000.

Utah Division of Wildlife, Cedar Valley Raptor Survey
Research Assistant

As Research Assistant, I worked to spot, identify, and count birds of prey during two separate two-month research programs evaluating the health of diurnal raptor populations in the Cedar Valley of Southern Utah. Birds I successfully identified from a distance included a variety of Buteos and Accipiters. Several owl species were also counted to supplement the raptor population study.

Utah Division of Wildlife, Gunlock Reservoir Songbird
Survey Research Assistant

I assisted with mist-netting, identifying, and banding songbird populations in the Gunlock Reservoir area as part of a complete study evaluating the health of these populations. This study also included a live mammal trapping component, which I assisted in as well.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Intern

As an on-site intern with the “Wild and Feathered Friends” department of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, I assisted a team of veterinarians in the rehabilitation, feeding, medicating, cleaning, and evaluating of health for re-release into the wild, of a large population of injured birds, including: Great Horned Owls, Prairie Falcons, ducks, geese, ravens, doves, pigeons, and indoor birds such as parrots, cockatiels, and cockatoos. As part of this internship, I also directly shadowed the Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator, and took visitors on tours of the facilities during which I described the animals, their enclosures, and the methods used to ensure high-quality care for the animals.

Southern Utah University Psychology Department
Student Researcher

As part of an “Experimental Analysis of Behavior” course, I successfully conditioned a pigeon to respond to positive operant conditioning, including the use of a Skinner Box, and establishing ad-lib and running weight statistics.