Zion Wildlife Gardens Zion re-opens with new name, Kingdom Of Zion

[kiwipo]

I have just watched a few videos on there and am absolutely shocked with what is reported to have gone on while he was at the park. Punching lions in the face, killing a cub with a rock and keeping a dead lion in the freezer for months is an absolute disgrace. the man should not be allowed anywhere near these animals!

Sounds bad, but how many of those claims were substantiated.
About the closest they came was Pat Busch saying a keeper now deceased told her he was killing cubs on CB's orders.

Keeping a dead lion in the freezer? So is that cruelty to a dead lion?
Dead dogs and cats are often kept in freezers at vets while it's decided what to do with them. I dare say you might have dead chickens in your own freezer.

 

[Chlidonias]

I went to this park 5 years ago - I've posted on my visit and won't repeat myself - but I was shocked at the time at the condition of the animals, the size and condition of their enclosures and the selection of the animals (a recessive gene freak show). I've seen significantly better conditions and enclosures in the third world.

ya I thought it was a bit rich Craig Busch complaining in that radio interview about how badly made the enclosures at Zion are!!

 

[NZ Jeremy]

Lol, he was in bleeding charge when I was there!

Earlier in the thread Steve expressed confidence in MAF. I've worked closely with them before and they are geared up to assess biological organisms at the border and livestock (mainly) which they do as well as can be expected. However, allowing "The Lionman" back in charge of Zion, I believe, puts in serious question their ability to manage a zoological institution (or one during it's receivership).

 

[Cadders]

Lol, he was in bleeding charge when I was there!

Earlier in the thread Steve expressed confidence in MAF. I've worked closely with them before and they are geared up to assess biological organisms at the border and livestock (mainly) which they do as well as can be expected. However, allowing "The Lionman" back in charge of Zion, I believe, puts in serious question their ability to manage a zoological institution (or one during it's receivership).

NZ Jeremy - you are spot on. I used to be MAF's Animal Welfare Investigation Team manager, and the guys were great with primary production sector animals, but zoo animals..? No. But it gets worse.

Basically, all the good animal guys have sort of been pushed out - by the fisheries elite. The 'investigator' in charge of Zion had no animal training, experience or background. And now? Who knows but I don't feel that my fears are allayed. I mean, talk about the blind enforcing the deluded.

Back in 2006 I reported to my managers in MAF that a fatality was inevitable at Zion (unreported injuries ensued). I did so again in 2009 (this time a fatality). But the Department of Labour and MAF were not listening. So they prosecuted Patricia Busch instead. There is nothing that has happened since then that has convinced me that anything has changed.

In the intervening years I put together a full strategic plan and business plan including reducing the number of cats, no more breeding of you-know-whats and diversification with an emphasis on conservation values, rather than 'preservating' big cats. The expert, Mr Busch, knew better and barreled on ahead regardless. My heart bleeds for that park but fate will now take its inevitable path and unless MAF steps in, well - let's see.

 

[kiwipo]

NZ Jeremy - you are spot on. I used to be MAF's Animal Welfare Investigation Team manager, and the guys were great with primary production sector animals, but zoo animals..? No. But it gets worse.

Basically, all the good animal guys have sort of been pushed out - by the fisheries elite. The 'investigator' in charge of Zion had no animal training, experience or background. And now? Who knows but I don't feel that my fears are allayed. I mean, talk about the blind enforcing the deluded.

Back in 2006 I reported to my managers in MAF that a fatality was inevitable at Zion (unreported injuries ensued). I did so again in 2009 (this time a fatality). But the Department of Labour and MAF were not listening. So they prosecuted Patricia Busch instead. There is nothing that has happened since then that has convinced me that anything has changed.

In the intervening years I put together a full strategic plan and business plan including reducing the number of cats, no more breeding of you-know-whats and diversification with an emphasis on conservation values, rather than 'preservating' big cats. The expert, Mr Busch, knew better and barreled on ahead regardless. My heart bleeds for that park but fate will now take its inevitable path and unless MAF steps in, well - let's see.

I'd have to agree with you on everything you posted here, MAF did have access to people who are experienced in exotic animal Welfare, but they neither used them or appeared to listen to them.

The best thing they can do for the park now is to simply provide the best care they can for the cats and let them die out. Breeding should be regulated by MAF, and there should be no more of it.

CB made his money out of animal encounters with people, now that isn't permitted he won't be making much profit.

As for his film making career in Africa, the TV channels are already saturated with docos on big cats, many of them made by people with far more film making experience than he will ever have.

The only thing the park has going for it is the new owners do have the money to run it even at a loss. How long they want to do that for is the question.

 

[kiwipo]

Apparently there was something on TV on Friday night about CB owing money in Afric for some scheme or other he was involved in, anyone know any details?

 

[driftaguy]

Apparently there was something on TV on Friday night about CB owing money in Afric for some scheme or other he was involved in, anyone know any details?

It was on Campbell Live. The link is on the previous page.

 

[Chlidonias]

post #54 is the piece about Campbell Live

 

[kiwipo]

Thanks, I had probs playing it though, got about halfway then stopped.

Otherwise it shows old CB is consistent anyway, turns friends and fans into enemies and creditors where ever he goes.
Maybe he should do a big cat doco on the unlikelihood of a leopard changing his spots.

 

[AskAlice]

Here's an excellent chronology on Zion that's just been put up by Auckland based historian Lisa Truttman

Paw Prints

 

[Cadders]

You know, and no disrespect meant, but when people labour under the misapprehension that if you love a potentially lethal animal enough, it will return that love and not kill you, well that's a recipe for disaster. The new Kingdom of Whangarei should learn from this.

 

[Chlidonias]

Here's an excellent chronology on Zion that's just been put up by Auckland based historian Lisa Truttman

Paw Prints

that was very interesting, thanks very much

 

[crazy-cat]

To see more about the place where CB got his white lions, check the link below. The owner, Ed Hearn, has a number of projects and attractions on his property, but you won't find any mention of canned hunting there. Its a very controversial subject in South Africa, and world wide, so its all very covert. But its far to valuable a practice to stop and the govt knows it.


Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve[/QUA

Are you suggesting that Ed Hearn is involved with canned hunting ?

 

[kiwipo]

Of course not, all he does is breed lions and sell them. He is no more involved with canned hunting than Patrick Hogan is with the dog food industry.

 

[kiwipo]

A recent news item showing that CB warned MAF of the risks at Zion before the fatality, and MAF apparently ignored his warning.

Zion Wildlife Park: Lion Man Warned Of Cat Danger | Stuff.co.nz

 

[Chlidonias]

I read that article earlier today. What I got from it (not being a Craig Busch fan of course ) was Busch playing the card of "nobody there knows what they're doing, put me back in charge before something happens" and then when something major did happen (through the procedures he had introduced there in the first place!) he said "told you so, best thing is to put me back in charge". And of course now he is back in charge and so he can keep repeating how only he knows what should be done there. Its a constant theme of passing the buck.

That place is a disaster.

 

[felix]

it should be a brazilian wildlife garden

no busch

 

[kiwipo]

I read that article earlier today. What I got from it (not being a Craig Busch fan of course ) was Busch playing the card of "nobody there knows what they're doing, put me back in charge before something happens" and then when something major did happen (through the procedures he had introduced there in the first place!) he said "told you so, best thing is to put me back in charge". And of course now he is back in charge and so he can keep repeating how only he knows what should be done there. Its a constant theme of passing the buck.

That place is a disaster.

Just a matter of timing I suppose, CB had bombarded MAF and everyone else with emails and messages so these would have been a few among many.
And of course he was going in with the big cats and taking the public in with them, and walking them around on a leash when he was in charge.

One common trend with almost all big cat handlers, they have nearly all been mauled by their cats at some stage.

Working hands on with any sort of animal can be risky of course, a lot more people in NZ have been killed or seriously injured by cattle and horses.

 

[felix]

a lot more people in NZ have been killed or seriously injured by cattle and horses.

only because there are a lot more horses and cattle in nz
even our icon the sheep causes injuries
antipodeans are known to share their sheep

 

[kiwipo]

only because there are a lot more horses and cattle in nz
even our icon the sheep causes injuries
antipodeans are known to share their sheep

You are a master of the obvious, well done.