A NEW face will be joining Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust from January.
The charity has announced that Mark Habben will step into the role of director of zoo operations, having previously worked in numerous conservation organisations including the Zoological Society of London, London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo.
Mr Habben also serves on the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums board of trustees.
Ahead of his arrival, Mr Habben said he is “honoured and excited” to be joining Jersey Zoo and is “inspired” by the work of its founder Gerald Durrell.
He said: “Throughout my career, I have worked to combine the highest standards of animal care with building strong, motivated teams, and I am excited to bring that approach to lead the highly qualified and passionate team who deliver every day on Durrell’s mission to save species from extinction.”
He will be stepping into the role currently held by Matt Goetz on an interim basis.
Durrell also confirmed that Mr Goetz will be leaving Durrell next year to return to his native Germany.
Announcing his departure, he said leaving Durrell had been “an incredibly difficult personal decision”.
“Jersey has long become my home, and I was able to engage in so many different and wonderful aspects of our work at Durrell,” Mr Goetz said.
“I will always be extremely proud of what we achieved at Durrell and immensely grateful for all the experiences and opportunities which led to so many interesting avenues of work I was able to pursue.”
On the new appointment, Rebecca Brewer, the trust’s chief executive added: “[Mark’s] knowledge and expertise will add a fresh dimension to the team and to Jersey Zoo.”
“With our new strategy launching in 2026, this marks an exciting chapter for us, and Mark will play a pivotal role in bringing our vision to life.”
