 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 3 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 5,186 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
Dean Samuel Gallagher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 (age 47–48) Exeter, England |
| Citizenship | British, Australian |
| Occupations | Property manager, environmental volunteer |
Dean Samuel Thomas Gallagher (born 1978) is a British–Australian property manager and environmental volunteer based on the Spanish island of Ibiza. He is known for his volunteer work capturing invasive snakes, raising awareness about the decline of native lizard populations, and participating in environmental protection efforts related to the impact of tourism on Ibiza's ecosystems.[1][2][3][4]
Biography
editGallagher was born in 1978 in Exeter, England. After his birth, he migrated to Australia and was raised in Warrnambool and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He returned to the UK during his teenage years, where he completed his secondary education and attended South Devon Technical College.[2][4][5]
After completing his education, Gallagher worked as a lifeguard and volunteered with St John Ambulance. He later moved to London, where he worked in security roles. From 1997 to 1999, he lived in Rome, Italy, working in administrative roles with the English-speaking All Saints’ Church and learning Italian. After returning to London, he trained as a TEFL instructor and continued working in security while undertaking basic medical training.[1][2][6]
In 2003, Gallagher relocated to Málaga, Spain, where he learned Spanish. By 2007, he had moved to Ibiza, working at Ibiza Airport with airlines and handling agents and teaching languages during the winter months. During the 2011 economic downturn, he returned to London and continued working in security, primarily in the West End. He moved back to Ibiza in 2014, where he resumed teaching and began working as a property manager, including the management of villas and holiday rentals. During the off-season, he also spent time in France learning French.[2][5][6]
Gallagher has also worked as a vinyl DJ, playing in small local venues on Ibiza with sets focused on 1990s music, old-school tracks, and R&B.[2]
In 2018, Gallagher became involved in volunteer efforts following a decline in Ibiza's native gecko and lizard populations. After encountering invasive horseshoe whip snakes, he began capturing snakes found on residential properties and raising awareness about the impact of invasive species on the island's ecosystem. His activities led to increased media attention, and he was referred to locally as the “Ibiza snake catcher” in national and international reporting.[4][5][6][3]
The spread of invasive snakes on Ibiza has been linked to accidental introductions associated with imported olive trees in the early 2000s, contributing to a decline in the endemic Ibiza wall lizard (Podarcis pityusensis). Gallagher's volunteer activities have been cited in reporting on these environmental pressures and broader biodiversity concerns on the island.[4][5][6]
In 2021, Gallagher received the Primer Amic de la Terra prize from Amics de la Terra Eivissa for his environmental advocacy on invasive species.[1]
In February 2022, he conducted a practical workshop on the island's invasive snake problem for students at an English language academy. In the session, he explained how to construct and use traps to capture non-venomous snakes and demonstrated handling techniques using a captured snake, focusing on the science behind control efforts and the threats posed by these reptiles to the native Ibiza lizard population.[7]
In July 2023, Dean Gallagher reported capturing a 184.5-centimetre invasive snake in Ibiza, which local media described as his longest recorded that season. He noted a decline in call-outs compared with previous years and stated that continued trapping remained necessary to monitor and limit the spread of non-native snakes on the island, according to coverage by HuffPost España.
In addition, he has participated in environmental clean-up efforts in areas affected by tourism. Gallagher has highlighted pollution at natural viewpoints, including Es Vedrà, where discarded bottles and cans have been reported to trap and kill lizards, contributing to public concern and the restriction of access to the site.[1][2][3] He has also regularly helped visitors and vulnerable residents on the island, which includes taking bottled water to elderly people who live in remote areas, as well as translating and interpreting for people in crisis situations.
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 Redacción (2021-11-28). "Dean Gallagher, Premi Amic de la Terra 2021 por su labor contra las serpientes". Diario de Ibiza (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Romero, José Miguel L. (2025-07-06). "El hombre que susurra a las serpientes en Ibiza". Diario de Ibiza (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- 1 2 3 Hunter, Simon (2022-12-20). "Ibiza's volunteer snake catcher puts out call for help after vehicle gives up the ghost". Olive Press News Spain. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- 1 2 3 4 Ferrer, Laura (2021-11-17). "La lucha de Ibiza contra las serpientes llega a Sky News y The Times". Noudiari.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- 1 2 3 4 Ibiza, Louise Callaghan (2021-11-13). "Ibizans take up clubs against plague of snakes killing off their beloved lizard". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- 1 2 3 4 Jones, Sam (2022-05-27). "Lizards or snakes? The stark game of survival playing out in Ibiza". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ↑ Ferrer, Laura (2022-02-04). "Lección magistral del 'cazaserpientes' de Ibiza: "hay que sacrificarlas con respeto"". Noudiari.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-04-21.