Zion Wildlife Gardens
Encyclopedia
Zion Wildlife Gardens is a private animal sanctuary in Whangarei
, New Zealand
, dedicated to the preservation of big cats. The park houses many big cats, mainly lions and tigers, and also houses a black leopard, two cheetahs, two serval
s. It was established in 2002 by Craig Busch
, who no longer works or lives there but remains a shareholder. While a few of the cats kept are semi-wild, the majority of the cats have been hand reared at the park. The park was the location of the successful documentary series The Lion Man
, which documents events at the park and elsewhere.
On the 27 May 2009 a zookeeper, South African National Dalu Mncube, was mauled to death by a white tiger while cleaning an enclosure. The tiger was quickly shot dead in order to reach Mncube. The same tiger, a 260 kilograms (573.2 lb) male named Abu, had bitten another handler earlier the same year, who was rescued by Mncube. The park closed and re-opened after less than one month, following changes to the big cats' enclosures to improve safety for handlers and the public. Handlers were instructed to have no further direct contact with the big cats.
There was also a baboon
now deceased, one ostrich
, and a number of deer
.
Three white tigers - females - are on temporary loan to Pouakai Zoo in New Plymouth.
Former Auckland Zoo manager Glen Holland was appointed as a "licensed operator" as required by MAF on October 10 three and half weeks prior to Patricia Busch termination of Craig Busch's employment as park operator.
The Sunday News reported that 29 of the 37 big cats had been declawed, at the behest of Craig Busch, before his mother, Patricia, took over the running of the park in 2008. Tim Husband, animal consultant hired as the "licenced operator" for Zion Gardens after the fatal mauling in May 2009, described the declawing as animal mutilations and an absolutely barbaric practice 'that just ruins your animal', 'that will never raise its ugly head at Zion Gardens ever again'. The M.A.F. report considers the possibility of charges being laid, although notes in its conclusions that "The presence of MAF veterinarians at declawing instances during the quarantine period and the apparent overt or tacit acceptance of the declawing procedure by MAF supervising vets is problematic to any prosecution" and "The elements for any offending as regards both the restricted surgical procedures and the ill-treats provisions are unable to be sensible proven beyond reasonable doubt".
The park is funded through the tours and donations.
The park is currently in Receivership and Liquidation and closed to all but prebooked tours.
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
, New Zealand
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...
, dedicated to the preservation of big cats. The park houses many big cats, mainly lions and tigers, and also houses a black leopard, two cheetahs, two serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
s. It was established in 2002 by Craig Busch
Craig Busch
Craig Busch nicknamed "The Lion Man", is a New Zealand television personality. He was the founder, and remains the majority shareholder of .-Background:...
, who no longer works or lives there but remains a shareholder. While a few of the cats kept are semi-wild, the majority of the cats have been hand reared at the park. The park was the location of the successful 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...
, which documents events at the park and elsewhere.
History
The park was established by Craig Busch in 2002 from bare land situated on Gray Road, Kamo, Whangarei. Busch remained the park's owner until 13 July 2006, when he resigned as director and appointed his mother, Patricia Busch, as sole director. Craig continued working at Zion until his dismissal on 3 November 2008.On the 27 May 2009 a zookeeper, South African National Dalu Mncube, was mauled to death by a white tiger while cleaning an enclosure. The tiger was quickly shot dead in order to reach Mncube. The same tiger, a 260 kilograms (573.2 lb) male named Abu, had bitten another handler earlier the same year, who was rescued by Mncube. The park closed and re-opened after less than one month, following changes to the big cats' enclosures to improve safety for handlers and the public. Handlers were instructed to have no further direct contact with the big cats.
Animals
As of January 2011, the park has 36 cats:- 11 Barbary LionBarbary LionThe Barbary lion , also known as the Atlas lion or Nubian lion, is a subspecies of lion that became extinct in the wild or extinct in the 20th century....
s (Panthera leo leo) – extinct in the wildExtinct in the WildExtinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:... - 3 White lion/Barbary lions [(Panthera leo krugeri/Panthera leo leo)]
- 10 White lionWhite lionThe white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion . It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world...
s – members of Panthera leo krugeri containing a recessive genetic mutationMutationIn molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic... - 3 Bengal tigerBengal TigerThe Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
s (P. tigris tigris) – endangered - 4 White tigerWhite tigerThe 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 Bengal Tigers – members of P. tigris tigris containing a recessive genetic mutationMutationIn molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
The general consensus from the zoo community is that 'white tigers' are not a subspecies. Most of 'white tigers' at Zion are the result of cross-breeding and this had led to genetically defective animals being produced, such as the female tigers on loan to Pouakai Zoo. - 1 Black leopard (P. pardus) – leopardLeopardThe leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s are near threatenedNear ThreatenedNear Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status... - 2 CheetahCheetahThe cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s (Acinonyx jubatus) – vulnerableVulnerable speciesOn 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:... - 2 ServalServalThe serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
Cats (Leptailurus serval) – least concernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
There was also a baboon
Baboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
now deceased, one ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
, and a number of deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
.
Three white tigers - females - are on temporary loan to Pouakai Zoo in New Plymouth.
MAF enquiries
In June 2008, the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry investigated the park for claims of animal cruelty and animals being kept in unsanitary conditions. Craig Busch requested the investigation by MAF due to the Managing Director Patricia Busch withholding funds from filming income, for new enclosures. The results of their report were made public on 12 November 2008.Former Auckland Zoo manager Glen Holland was appointed as a "licensed operator" as required by MAF on October 10 three and half weeks prior to Patricia Busch termination of Craig Busch's employment as park operator.
The Sunday News reported that 29 of the 37 big cats had been declawed, at the behest of Craig Busch, before his mother, Patricia, took over the running of the park in 2008. Tim Husband, animal consultant hired as the "licenced operator" for Zion Gardens after the fatal mauling in May 2009, described the declawing as animal mutilations and an absolutely barbaric practice 'that just ruins your animal', 'that will never raise its ugly head at Zion Gardens ever again'. The M.A.F. report considers the possibility of charges being laid, although notes in its conclusions that "The presence of MAF veterinarians at declawing instances during the quarantine period and the apparent overt or tacit acceptance of the declawing procedure by MAF supervising vets is problematic to any prosecution" and "The elements for any offending as regards both the restricted surgical procedures and the ill-treats provisions are unable to be sensible proven beyond reasonable doubt".
Funding
Zion Wildlife Gardens is a privately run animal zoo. Access to the public is available by a range of guided tours.The park is funded through the tours and donations.
The park is currently in Receivership and Liquidation and closed to all but prebooked tours.