Memo

mo:

PO Box 4206, Kamo

Whangarei, New Zealand
Gray Road, RD 1, Kamo

tel_ +64 (09) 435 0110

email_ zion@zionwildlifegardens.co.nz
web_ www.zionwildlifegardens.co.nz

ZION
WILDLIFE
GARDENS
To

Health and Safety Officer, Michelle Potter

cc Operator, Craig Busch

From

Patricia Busch

Subject

HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY CONCERNS DECLAWING

THE LIONS - TSAKA, ABDULLAH AND CLEO AFTER OPERATION CARE

Date 25th May 2008

I am raising concerns on a number of issues re the above.

1. The original operations appointment with Town & Country Vets in Drury was for 16th May
2008. The operator rescheduled these to 23rd May 2008 without consultation. The operator
was requested to choose another date due to the senior handler being required at the park
on that day and that he would be absent on leave on the 24th and 25th May when the lions
would require aftercare from the major declawing operations. The operator advised that he
would not need the senior handler on the operation day and that he would himself carry out
the aftercare over the weekend.
2. I instructed the senior handler to assist load the lions for travel before 4am on the 23rd May
which he did on his own. He also travelled without authorisation to Auckland with the
operator for the day. The lions returned late in the evening. During the stress of the travel
the males had rubbed raw patches on the forehead and around the eyes and by the next
morning the males in particular were grumpy from their wounds, associated pain and
bleeding. Tshaka has removed one of his bandages from a paw.
3. The operator asked two handlers who are not senior cat handlers to assist him the next
morning without consultation. I instructed the handlers that they could prepare food for the
lions however they were not to put themselves in any danger by doing anything else.
4. The operator left around the middle of 24th May and told one of the handlers to give the
lions their next medication despite having been told by the handler he did not want to do
this. The medication was given and the operator phoned the handler that night to see if he
had and also told him to give medication the next morning as he would still be away.
5. I was the only person on the park last night 24th May and although I am the deputy operator
if there had been an emergency with any of those lions I did not have a senior handler
available to assist. It is now 25th May and the operator is absent.
6. The lions are more settled now however I am concerned that they and staff have been put
at risk. I am also disappointed that they have not received the level of comfort and
reassurance desired from a senior handler. By last night Abdullah was still very down not
wanting to move or respond and although he is looking better this morning, Tshaka is the
only one wanting to respond to a greeting.

7. Another concern is that the park was left with one male handler for all of the chores on 23rd
May and that the booked tour requiring the senior handler had to be carried out by others
with improvisation required to make up to the visitors for their further disappointment in a
change of tour following on from their earlier disappointment that the operator had
cancelled their original young adult cat tour due to public safety and containment
requirements that have not been completed. This is taken to mean that the operators
request for electrification to keep stags from a deer fence had not been done as we have
had no other clarification. The requested electrification has been carried out by the
builders.
From my own observation and opinion I am not in agreement with declawing en masse especially
when it is done to protect trees. A lot of tree protection could be carried out with the funding
required for declawing operations. I also believe that bone and balance problems could occur in
these cats especially as they age, as well as the operation and infection risk being unnecessary.

Patricia Busch
Managing Director