Craig Busch
Encyclopedia
Craig Busch nicknamed "The Lion Man", is a New Zealand
television personality. He was the founder, and remains the majority shareholder of Zion Wildlife Gardens Ltd (In Receivership and Liquidation).
, in a mountainous region populated with wild cougars
. On developing a friendship with one of these cougars, Busch realised that interacting with big cats was his mission in life. He later spent time in Hollywood as an animal handler for studios and wealthy individuals.
In 2007, Busch was convicted of assaulting his former partner in 2005. He had had a previous conviction of assault in 1991. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10441295
s he had bought from owners in the United States, ensuring none were related in order to provide a viable breeding population. Busch built Zion Wildlife Gardens, initially in Kerikeri and then relocated to the current site outside of Whangarei.
Busch featured in a New Zealand television documentary series The Lion Man
, one of the biggest selling New Zealand television series. The series is shown in more than 130 different countries but not in New Zealand.
Busch aimed to breed big cats to increase their numbers, assisted by exchange programmes with other groups such as Global Tiger Patrol. Efforts included the exchange of New Zealand's first natively born white Bengal tigers with a white lion cub named Gandor, from the Rhino
& Lion Nature Reserve
near Johannesburg
.
At this stage, Zion Wildlife Gardens is closed to all but prebooked visits.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
television personality. He was the founder, and remains the majority shareholder of Zion Wildlife Gardens Ltd (In Receivership and Liquidation).
Background
Busch spent some time in UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, in a mountainous region populated with wild cougars
Cougars
Cougars is a Chicago-based rock band signed to the New York-based label Go-Kart Records.The Cougars' music is often compared to that of Rocket from the Crypt...
. On developing a friendship with one of these cougars, Busch realised that interacting with big cats was his mission in life. He later spent time in Hollywood as an animal handler for studios and wealthy individuals.
In 2007, Busch was convicted of assaulting his former partner in 2005. He had had a previous conviction of assault in 1991. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10441295
Zion Wildlife Gardens
Busch moved back to New Zealand, taking three white tigerWhite tiger
The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
s he had bought from owners in the United States, ensuring none were related in order to provide a viable breeding population. Busch built Zion Wildlife Gardens, initially in Kerikeri and then relocated to the current site outside of Whangarei.
Busch featured in a New Zealand television documentary series The Lion Man
The Lion Man
The Lion Man was a New Zealand television documentary series about a New Zealand big cat park called Zion Wildlife Gardens. The series was named after the Lion Man, Craig Busch, the park's founder, and followed him and his staff as they managed the park and its collection of approximately 30 lions...
, one of the biggest selling New Zealand television series. The series is shown in more than 130 different countries but not in New Zealand.
Busch aimed to breed big cats to increase their numbers, assisted by exchange programmes with other groups such as Global Tiger Patrol. Efforts included the exchange of New Zealand's first natively born white Bengal tigers with a white lion cub named Gandor, from the Rhino
Rhino
Rhino is a colloquial abbreviation of rhinoceros"Rhino" may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Rhino , a character from the Marvel Comics universe and sometime-foe of Spider-Man...
& Lion Nature Reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
near Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
ERA (Employment Relations Authority)
In November 2008, Busch was dismissed from Zion Wildlife Park. There are allegations by Zion Wildlife Gardens that Busch failed to keep proper training records, had incorrect cash handling procedures, loss of revenue due to cancellation of tours, undertook major breaches of safety protocols and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace but these remain unproven by ZWG. In August 2009 Busch withdrew his claims to be reinstated and his personal grievance for unjustified dismissal.Declawing at park
From 2000 to 2008, during Mr. Busch's tenure as the Operator and owner of Zion Wildlife Gardens, most of the big cats were declawed, a "restricted surgical procedure" in New Zealand. According to the Zion Wildlife Gardens site, these cats are now going lame (a well-known result of declawing) and have difficulty grasping their food.Return to television
In June 2010, it was announced Busch was returning to television with a new reality series, with filming taking place primarily in Africa. To date nothing further has been heard of this series.Receivership
David Bridgman and Colin McCloy of PwC were appointed receivers of Zion Wildlife Gardens Limited (In Receivership & In Liquidation), on 26 July 2011. Subsequent to this, the Official Assignee was appointed liquidator of the Company on 22 August 2011.At this stage, Zion Wildlife Gardens is closed to all but prebooked visits.