Wildlife Heritage Foundation

Full-time Staff

Mark L. Edgerley - CEO

Mark has been involved with the Marley Farm sanctuary since 2003. In 2004 he was instrumental in forming the Wildlife Heritage Foundation charity for the directors of Paradise Wildlife Park, Hertfordshire UK, who wanted to establish the WHF as an independent entity. He was the first full time member of staff when appointed CEO and director in September 2004.

Mark came to WHF from Marwell Zoological Park in Hampshire where he was CEO and director. He was involved in that organisation for nearly 25 years many of those as a volunteer in various capacities.

Mark started his career as a cartographic surveyor with a UK government department, which in turn developed into sales management before finally settling into a period as director of a Canadian software house. Mark is delighted to be pursuing a career within a conservation organisation. He´s chasing a dream to make an impact, however small, on the future well-being of big cats in the wild.

Malcolm

Malcolm was the local farmer who originally owned the whole of Marley Farm prior to part of it being acquired by Paradise Wildlife Park in 2002.

As well as pursuing his interest in cattle on the farm, particularly the rare breed "British Whites", Malcolm had bison, ankole and zebu cattle on his land. When Kent council put out an appeal in 1990 for someone to look after two lions impounded from a circus because of their substandard accommodation, Malcolm was quick to offer to rehome them.

That was the start of the Big Cat Foundation. After the processes of planning, obtaining dangerous wild animal licences and finally construction, the first lions Pagan, Mitzie and Masie arrived in 1991 – yes already the collection had grown with the addition of a "spare" female lion from a UK Safari Park.

The first enclosure cost £18,000, money Malcolm had set aside to construct a laundry and utility room at his home on Marley Farm. The utility room never did get built but with the help of a number of organisations and charities he added a further six enclosures to the site over the next six or seven years, including one built by the BBC television programme "Challenge Anneka" in 1995.

Malcolm is still very much part of the team, assisting with guiding our members and guests around the site where he still is "grass cutter in chief".

Rebecca Hall

Rebecca has always processed admiration for big cats; ever since childhood all that would capture her attention at the zoo was the big cats.

On leaving college and vowing never to return! Rebecca stormed into the world of work, not knowing where it would lead her.

She first came to WHF at Marley Farm in February 2005, on one day per week as a volunteer she would assist Mark and Malcolm and keepers from Paradise Wildlife Park to feed the cats and clean out houses and enclosures.

In the summer of 2006 Rebecca jetted off to Bally Vaughn Bird Park near Harare, Zimbabwe for just over 2 months. This was the best thing that could have happened as it taught her what she wanted to do and where her talents lay.

Having worked many different jobs up until that time, Rebecca was offered full time employment at WHF whilst still in Africa. On here return to the UK in June 2006 she started as the first full time keeper on the WHF payroll.

Becky says she feels privileged to work so closely with the cats on site and is proud to play an important role however small in the successful conservation of big cats worldwide.

She is currently studying for the Advance National Certificate in the Management of Zoo Animals at Sparsholt College Hampshire.

On completion of the course she hopes to travel to other parts of the world to see conservation projects in action, although not for long periods as her intention is now to spend her future with Wildlife Heritage Foundation.

Volunteers

Mark Mendham

Mark was one of the first people to join WHF as a volunteer in 2004. His specialist area is photography as well as helping us to keep a photographic record of Marley Farm as we develop our facilities and animal collection. Mark also assists guests attending our very popular "Photo Days" to gain those perfect "shots".

A new role for Mark is the management of the photographic gallery area of the WHF website.

Heather Bennett

Heather was one of our first volunteers and now spends almost every Sunday with us at Marley Farm; not only inventing new ways to wheel a feed barrow but also taking guests around for "Big Cat Encounters", catering on photographic days and, more recently, helping us develop our "big cat information sheets" as part of the building of our website.