The Wildheart Trust

Who we are

The Wildheart Trust is a registered charity which is dedicated to realising its global ambitions to make a meaningful impact on the health of the natural world while actively improving the well-being of animals in human care. The Trust runs the Isle of Wight Zoo and provides governance for its conservation aims.

The Trust has a unique and intimate style of engaging, involving and empowering people from the heart and the head. It sees one of its most important challenges being to convert ‘care’ into ‘action’.

With the ‘Sixth Extinction’ crisis looming time is of the essence to encourage an inclusive and participatory approach to conservation/restoration of the natural world so that everyone can play a vital role in preserving as much biodiversity as possible.

The Trust currently provides funding and technical support to in-situ conservation programmes for tigers in India, lemurs in Madagascar and native species here in the UK. The Trust has ambitions to grow its in-situ conservation.

Animal welfare is top of the agenda at the Zoo with the emphasis on treating each animal as an individual. The compassionate and skilled animal care teams are supported by a talented and dedicated body of veterinary advisors. The Trust is also committed to raising awareness and influencing improvements to animal welfare externally across a range of areas from pet ownership to the consumption of animal products.

Leading on from this, another central function of the Trust lies in providing forever homes for big cats and other exotic animals which have been rescued from circuses or the pet trade. Big cat care has been at the heart of the Zoo for several decades and it is now internationally renowned for its work in this specialist area. While the animal residents are not exclusively from a rescue background, priority is given to rescue individuals when seeking animal ambassadors for educational causes.

The Wildheart Trust is a young, dynamic and determined charity which is flourishing under the care of its Trustees and the commitment of its team. It was founded by Charlotte Corney, former CEO of the Isle of Wight Zoo. She inherited the zoo from her parents, Jack and Judith Corney and has dedicated her life to conservation and animal welfare. Her partner, Chris Packham, is a Trustee of The Wildheart Trust and champions its cause.

This is a critical time for the Trust as it evolves as a gateway to possible solutions which aim to correct the imbalance humans have brought about in our world. It believes that everyone is a custodian of the planet and has the capacity to be a part of this movement.