Keeper Team & Staff

Meet the New Forest Wildlife Park Team

Ed Heap - General Manager

Ed is a wildlife expert and an all-round fixer, builder and handyman. Like his parents Carol and Roger he’s passionate about conservation and helps to ensure the smooth running of the park and the welfare of all our animals. He is currently working with many others on the conservation of Scottish Wildcats. Ed has been caring for wildlife since he was a young boy, when most of the casualties lived in the family home, and usually the bathroom.

Jason Palmer - Curator of Collections

Jason has overall responsibility for the welfare of all our wildlife at both our zoos, bringing new species to the park and dealing with the mountains of legislation/ paperwork and licensing that is required to run a zoo.

After starting for us at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo in 2005 as a zookeeper and then a couple of years abroad in the Middle East he returned to the New Forest Wildlife Park in 2009. Under his management many new species have been introduced to the park. Jason has a huge network of colleagues in the zoo and natural world and can always find the answer to any problem.

Jason is responsible for creating the studbook for Asian Short clawed otters in the UK to ensure correct breeding guidelines are followed to maintain the health of these lovely otters in captivity. He also now runs the European and Global studbooks for the species as well as looking after the U.K captive population of Pine Marten He also helps and advises with otter rehabilitation and rescue both in the UK and abroad.

Jason has appeared on many local TV and radio stations, passing on his expertise about our animals and birds.

Lizzy - Senior animal Keeper and social media coordinator

Lizzy began her career in 2012 working for a primate rescue centre after volunteering with them for 6 months. She not only worked with primates but also reptiles, amphibians, birds of prey and meerkats! Lizzy believed working in the rehabilitation of birds of prey, meerkats and primates, who were rescued from circumstances such as the illegal pet trade, was not only incredibly rewarding but also eye opening to the tragedies of the illegal pet trade.

Lizzy started her new adventure working with us in 2021 bringing her experience with birds of prey and social media! Lizzy says “Working in the beautiful New forest is amazing, but pairing it with the incredible work we do in conservation and the breeding programmes makes it an honour!”

Nathan - Senior animal keeper

Shanna - Volunteer & keeper experience Manager and Animal keeper

Shanna was one of our first work-experience students from Sparsholt College in 1999 and after qualifying in Animal Management she came to work at the park as a full time Keeper. Passionate about Otters and the mustelid family, Shanna enjoys sharing her knowledge with visitors and leads our popular Keeper Experiences packages.

She has cared for many rescued wild animals from Otters, Stoats, Weasels, Deer, Foxes, to Hedgehogs and Owlets and has done her fair share of night feeds for baby animals at home over the years. As a result Shanna has many wildlife friends around the park.  Coffee & Lunchtimes would not be the same without Shanna's homemade baking treats for her fabulous work colleagues! Her Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best!

Ali - Animal Keeper 

Ali has been with us for many years and is an experienced and knowledgeable keeper. Ali always has a smile and the ability to see the funny side of a situation. Over the years she has helped with many orphaned rescued animals. Ali is a firm favourite with our Keeper Experiences and Animal Encounters.

Jenn - Animal Keeper

Jenn started her career working at a farm park where she discovered her love of all things hoofstock, especially tending to the farm’s flocks of sheep.  After many years she joined New Forest Wildlife Park and can often be found talking all things hoofstock to our visitors, unless she’s  out in one of the paddocks cutting fresh browse for our deer, bison and mouflon!

Whilst her heart lies with our hooved species she has developed a soft spot for our native otter species: the Eurasian Otter.

Ben - Animal keeper

Ben is driven by a commitment to carnivores and conservation. His career has seen him work closely with impressive species such as Lions, Tigers and Gorillas. Ben's particular passion for felines makes his time with the Scottish wildcats and Eurasian lynx especially rewarding. Outside of the cat species at the park, he also enjoys the uniqueness of caring for the Giant river otters and the Wolverine.

Tristan - Animal keeper

Charlie - Animal keeper

"With a fervent dedication to the realms of ornithology and invertebrate zoology, I bring a unique blend of expertise to the zoological landscape. My background in falconry has instilled in me a profound understanding of avian behaviour and conservation, principles that I am eager to apply in my role here. Among the diverse inhabitants of our park, the majestic white-tailed sea eagles hold a special place in my heart, embodying the very essence of wild beauty and ecological importance. I am committed to fostering a greater appreciation for these often-overlooked creatures and their vital roles in our planet's biodiversity." Charlie very obviously used AI to write this..

Zoe - Company Secretary, Accountant & HR Manager

Zoe spent most of her professional life in Accounts Practice and Auditing, before wanting to work in a more worth wile cause. With a passion for nature, Zoe joined the team in 2016 at our Derbyshire Wildlife Park,The Chestnut Centre, before the Head Office was moved to the NFWP. 

This move has suited Zoe very well due to her love of the sea and when not at work, Zoe can usually be found on the beaches and in the sea on the Hampshire and Dorset coastline.

Michelle - Administration officer

Michelle joined us back in 2019 having previously worked for the NHS.  Michelle is happy to do all things admin and has been keeping our bookings extremely well organised since then.

When she’s not at work she likes to enjoy the fresh air and is often seen walking her dog in the forest and around the Test Way.

Kerry - Retail & Catering Manager

Kerry started her career at a theme park, where she progressed through the ranks in roles across Catering, Retail, Purchasing and Warehouse Operations. It was there she discovered her love for leading teams and creating memorable experiences for visitors. Kerry joined the team at New Forest Wildlife Park in 2025 with a passion for animals and nature. When she’s not in the café or gift shop, she can be found sneaking a peak at our animals. The Asian Short-Clawed Otters have quickly become a firm favourite!

Becky - Retail & Catering Supervisor

Becky joined the team in 2025 with a background across Retail management within tourist attractions as well as holiday parks across the south coast. She joins the team with a passion for the tourism industry and can usually be found merchandising in the gift shop, creating wonderful displays for our visitors to the park.

Symon - Head of Building and Maintenance

Symon joined us in 2012 and since then his professional skills have enabled us to refurbish enclosures, construct bison pens and build our unique adventure playgrounds. For 2015 he and Ed built the impressive new accommodation for our harvest mice in the glasshouse. Coffee breaks would not be the same without Symon’s sense of humour.

Dr Clare Heap BVSc MRCVS - Vet

Clare and Ed are married and form a formidable team in caring for all our animals and wildlife rescues. Clare divides her time as a vet between small animal clinical work in a local practice in Hythe/Lymington and working at the wildlife park.  At the same time as bringing up two young sons. She says she is married to the business and always on call for the park. Clare has postgraduate qualifications in exotic veterinary practice.