Award-Winning Sustainable Tourism in Norfolk
Watatunga is a stunning reserve based in West Norfolk, covering over 170 acres of woodland, grassland, wetland and lakes. This diverse habitat makes it an ideal environment for all of our animals to thrive, which includes over twenty types of deer and antelope and rare bird species. Aiming so that our animals to live as natural lives as possible, they have the space and freedom to roam at their will. Access to the reserve is via guided tour only and must be pre-booked online via our website. We also offer private tours for small groups in our electric buggies or large groups in our safari trailer.
Having recently been voted Best New Tourism Business in the East of England, we are really proud to have been announced winner of the “Best New EcoTourism Destination 2022” award. Watatunga is extremely proud that our work and future plans for conservation and protection of endangered animals have been recognised by an ever-growing number of people and acknowledges our wildlife reserve as a sustainable tourism attraction. To find out more about our conservation work and the animals who call Watatunga home, visit our conservation page.
As well as tours, we also offer Safari Stays, in luxurious self-catering accommodation, including the Stable Cottage or Major’s Lodge. These beautiful lodges both sleep up to eight people and Major’s Lodge is fully accessible. Any holiday booking includes a private tour and use of the electric buggies throughout your stay. Check out our unique holiday options here.
As part of our drive on sustainability, we also provide educational programmes for school children and young people. We understand that to be sustainable, we must involve and educate the younger generations to ensure our conservation efforts continue into the future. To find out more about our education programmes, visit our education page.
Meet Our Team
Ed Pope
Founder, Watatunga.
Ed is a full-time arable farmer who inherited his father’s fascination with Africa and in particular, the many antelope and gazelle species which he discovered there. Proud to be able to name every species of British duck by the age of four, Ed has long been an admirer of Sir Peter Scott and his generation of maverick conservationists. Now a father himself, Ed would like to pass on the genius of nature’s complex systems to the next generation but recognises that it will take much more than a few individuals to ensure that our planet’s precious biodiversity can survive. That’s why Ed is so passionate about establishing Watatunga’s education work and ensuring that young people are empowered to tackle the challenges ahead.
With a background in agriculture, a seven-year stint in the city and a busy farm to run, Ed has not followed a conventional route into conservation. However more recent trips to Africa with his sister Annabel, an internationally renowned wildlife artist, made him increasingly aware of the pressure that habitat loss and hunting were exerting on many of the species he had grown to love. Ed is also involved in an international collaboration to reintroduce the Great Bustard to the U.K. and is proud to have the only Norfolk specimens of this little known bird which went extinct in the U.K. in 1832.
JULIAN STOYEL
Animal Consultant, Watatunga.
Julian is widely recognised as the leading deer conservationist in Europe. Now an advisor to the board of ungulate management the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species, he is a founding member of the Watatunga team. Having set up Red Oak Genetics, a consultancy business, Julian travels the length and breadth of the UK advising zoos, safari parks and private collectors as to how to ensure the best possible conditions for their stock within the constraints in which they operate.
Julian has always longed to create a reserve where the animal’s privacy and habitat is awarded equal importance to the visitor experience. He has seen first-hand the powerful results this can have on breeding programmes and he believes that Watatunga is unique in combining these two elements. Julian drives Watatunga’s genetics work, collaborating with universities across Europe to monitor our stock and ensuring that previously forgotten species are awarded the attention that they deserve through work with bodies such as EAZA Deer TAG.
ANNA HAMILTON
Accommodation and Education, Watatunga.
Anna has a track record of getting young people outside and having fun. Having trained as a primary school teacher, she has taught in locations as diverse as the Ecuadorian Amazon, Croydon, Lambeth and Rome and in each setting has been a passionate advocate of outdoor learning.
Anna co-founded Watatunga with her husband Ed in 2020 and currently manages everything to do with the visitor experience on site. From Forest School to safari stays, Anna is committed to making sure that visitors leave Watatunga filled with optimism and having had a fantastic time at the reserve.
Sustainability is of key importance to Anna’s vision for Watatunga, whether that’s sourcing the freshest local produce for catered events or making sure the t- shirts we sell have an ethical supply chain, attention to detail is her forte.
With her two mini-rangers in tow, Anna turns her hand to all aspects of the business but is happiest when planting veg or harvesting apples in the spectacular walled garden of the Stable Cottage, one of the holiday lets onsite.
ALEX DOUGLAS
Tour Guide
Alex cannot remember a time she wasn’t fascinated by nature and wildlife. Training as a teacher she worked in the Channel Islands and volunteered at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Moving to South Africa was a dream come true as she spent the majority of her time there guiding in the Kruger National Park and other National reserves such as Hluhluwe/Umfolozi in KwaZulu Natal. The call of Norfolk and her family saw her returning home and she was amazed to discover Watatunga. She joined the team in 2021 and relishes the opportunities to share the amazing and unique stories of the animals and birds in our care. Alex cannot imagine a planet without these rare and endangered species and is determined to help as many people as possible to appreciate, value and conserve them for future generations through the safaris she guides at Watatunga Wildlife Reserve.
MOLLY RUDER
Reserve Operations Manager
Molly has always been very passionate about deer & antelope and believes that if people understood how fascinating and complex they are, they would be just as captivated by them as she is. She is a strong advocate of keeping animals in complex environments that mirror their wild habitats, & giving animals choice and control over in captive environments.
Molly is the reserve operations manager, responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the animal collection, staff & visitor experiences & implementing future strategic plans for the development of Watatunga. She also oversees the education, research and conservation aspects of Watatunga and enjoys tailoring what we do here at WWR to the relevant school curriculums. You may see her presenting at conferences about our work here or even see her guest lecturing!
She joined the team in 2023 & has worked in multiple zoological collections with a wide range of different taxonomic species. She has a bachelor’s degree in Zoo Biology and a Masters degree in Animal Nutrition. Molly also sits on the BIAZA Nutrition working group.
KAREN HULL
Tour Assistant
Karen was born and educated in west London, but spent most of her school holidays staying with her grandparents in Sussex which informed her love of nature and wildlife. She has lived in Norfolk for over forty years with her horses and dogs which she walks daily in Thetford Forest. She has two sons and three grandchildren, whom she adores.
Karen retired from being a Secondary School Careers Adviser in 2021, after nearly thirty eight years in the profession. She had a specialist role supporting young people with learning difficulties and disabilities and her proudest moment was being awarded an MBE in 2013, for services to education.
Karen feels privileged to be working at Watatunga. She loves learning about the beautiful, critically endangered animals and birds, and working alongside a team of experts. She gives the warmest of welcomes and is a treasured team member, making sure every guest has the ultimate experience on the reserve.
ELLEN CHESTNEY
Tour Guide
When Ellen was five years old, she decided that she wanted to live in the African bush. Working at various safari lodges in Malawi and Zambia, Ellen gained a Zambian Guide’s License and delighted in taking guests from all corners of the globe for unforgettable wildlife experiences in some beautiful and wild settings.
Coming back to U.K. to complete a Master’s degree in conservation, with the intention of working abroad again, she fell in love with a Norfolk lad and stayed put instead. After working in membership and community engagement at the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) and the RSPB, the pull of the outdoors and a busy son to occupy led Ellen to qualify as a Forest School Leader.
Ellen cares passionately about facilitating a love for nature in people of all ages and firmly believes “People protect what they love”. She feel that the conservation importance of Watatunga, and the amazing wildlife it showcases, makes us do just that.
EMILY WHICKER
Administration and Marketing
Emily has always been passionate about animals and the outdoors since she was a little girl, spending most of her upbringing surrounded by them. Emily joined the team in 2022 via a Kickstart placement having struggled to get back into employment after having her son.
Her role has developed sizeably since her first arrival, from managing our social media platforms and blog writing, guest communications and co-ordinating accommodation bookings, to controlling stock, managing our brand-new till and booking systems and assisting the reserve manager with tour logistics.
Currently undertaking a Level 3 apprenticeship in Business Administration, Emily is already planning her next project; learning to guide. She may be a familiar face to some, as she often jumps in to support the team transforming into a back buggy driver, coffee brewer and bottle-feeder of baby deer at the drop of a hat!
MIRANDA SEALY
Tour Guide
Miranda grew up loving every aspect of nature. From identifying butterflies in her garden to hand rearing rescued lambs.
Her love of nature was what inspired her to move to Cornwall and gain her degree in Zoology with professional placement. During her degree, Miranda discovered her obsession with insects. This led her to work in multiple entomology based jobs from Bee inspector to Lab Technician.
Miranda spent every summer throughout her degree, doing fieldwork, where she gained a passion for working outdoors.
After falling for a navy man, she followed him to Norfolk where she stumbled across Watatunga and immediately wanted to work there.
Miranda loves talking about her passion with the public and sharing her love of nature and insects with all our guests.
This year, Miranda will be carrying out ecological surveys across Watatunga to measure biodiversity throughout the reserve.
CHARLEY ROSS
Back Buggy Assistant
Charley was born and raised in Essex, where she found her passion for animal care and conservation. Her journey began with caring for her neighbour’s horses at a young age, realising her love for the animal world her parents fuelled her passion, which led to her adopting her first rescue animal Mikey the corn snake at the age of nine. Charley continued to fuel her passion, volunteering in dog training centres and adopting many more animals.
After finishing her A-levels Charley then moved on from Essex to Norfolk where she began studying Wildlife Conservation and Ecology at the University of East Anglia. Throughout her studies, she has volunteered at numerous animal care facilities most notably being a hedgehog hospital! Charley found Watatunga on a University trip and was amazed to have such a beautiful park with such a positive message right on her doorstep!
Charley plans to finish her degree and continue on to do a masters in environmental law with the hopes of making a difference in the way conservation is viewed worldwide. Charley is extremely passionate about the conservation of mammals and is over the moon to be working in one of Norfolk’s most exciting conservation parks that focuses on the welfare of animals over the commercial aspects. Charley is excited to expand her knowledge with the help of the Watatunga team and propel her career in the world of conservation.
Conservation Today for Wildlife Tomorrow
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