Two of the new owners were on Campbell Live, just not in a live interview. One of the show's reporters interviewed them in the park.
I don't give this latest bit on Campbell much credibility. Why was this kid attacked by a lion not brought up before? Seems a bit late to suddenly make this public. Also I didn't think much of Pat Busch stating how she caught Dalu killing cubs on Craig's orders. She has fingered the one employee who is no longer alive to confirm or dispute that comment. The other two staff members interviewed are both friends of the Busch ladies, and no fan of Craigs. it looks more like a typical Campbell molehill into mountain rendering of the tale. Time will tell if this place turns out for the good or bad, maybe Pat and Megan Busch should realise they have lost this battle and retire.
The male former keeper interviewed had no evidence for most of, if not all of, his claims against Craig Busch (so who's to say he didn't make them up). No hands-on contact is currently allowed with the cats, so I don't know why Patricia Busch says she thinks there will be another death at the park soon (probably just another way of her encouraging people not to support the current owners).
I found the most recent claims by Pat and Megan a bit hard to swallow rally. Seemed just more like sour grape rantings to the one person happy to give them screen time. It seems amazing that a family, after their kid has been bitten by a lion during an encounter they would have paid a hell of a lot for, would be persuaded to keep quiet about it. And how about the doctor or hospital that treated the wounds? What did they put on their report? Dog attack??? Almost all parents would have screamed for the authorities and probably compensation as well if one of their kids had been mauled. Pat Busch also seems to forget that the only death at the park occurred while she was in charge, not Craig. And as Driftaguy says, new policies mean no handling of big cats atall so far less chance of serious attack so long as they follow the rules. Pat and Megan need to move on and forget about the park, they had their stint there, and its over. Who the licensed operator is doesn't matter, MAF has already transferred the license from Craig to her at short notice, transferring it again will be no problem.
Zion case I totally disagree. I have no doubt that the kid was bitten by the lion and that Craig got the parents to cover it up for quite some time. This guy talked lots of people out of huge sums of money. That is what he does. The new rules in NZ do make it more unlikely to have any serious incidents but still do not believe the place is anything more than a tax write of for the new owners. The cub killing stories are verified by numerous former staff and volunteers.
Conning people out of money and covering up a lion attack are two very different things. Sure it may have occurred, but why has it only come to light now. They made mention that it was reported to MAF some two years after it occurred, any proof of that? So far all we saw on TV was some photos of a kid with leg injuries and an allegation about the attack. I too have heard stories of Craig killing cubs, some of them described him clubbing them to death with stones. However all of these tales come from people who have a grudge against Craig, and were never reported at the time. If they were true, why didn't the program bring more people on to back up the story. All I heard on the story the other night was Pat Busch saying she saw Dalu killing cubs, and Dalu can no longer comment on her allegation. Why didn't she say Craig was killing cubs, or get someone who says they saw him do so to come forward. All they had on the most recent show was the two Busch women, one of their close friends, and a worker who was fired after Craig and the new owners took the park over again. Not too much to go on, but them maybe you don't need hard facts to influence you
Proof As I said before these 'allegations' as you put it are not just backed up by the people on camera. Others that have absolutely no 'axe to grind' have reported them before. What do you require a burning bush?
So what we have here, is a statement by an anonymous person, you, stating that persons you have not identified or named in any way have reported what was said on the TV in the past? And you think that is proof?
I heard that a couple of years ago there was a 60 Minutes story about Craig Busch that included a video of him allegedly whipping a lion and beating a cub. Those were proven fake. A former worker who was fired by Patricia Busch, Michelle Potter, hasn't said anything bad about Craig Busch. Regarding the lion in the freezer, she said someone uncovered Samson in the freezer and moved him to make it look like Craig had left him in that position after Craig wrapped him up (he had not been buried because Ms Busch had instructed all park employees not to help Craig do anything). Craig's sister has made many claims against him, including finding cubs in his freezer, and so on. No evidence whatsoever. She also said in a women's magazine article that he tried to have animal control kill her dogs. I have since seen the letter that was sent from Craig Busch to animal control (Animal Control Email August 2008) which proves this situation was not as Megan Busch made it out to be. Recently I heard that the Campbell Live story with Ms Busch at the gate arguing with security about not being let out/in, was actually filmed over 2 days and she had spent hours talking to media through the fence and arguing with the security guards.
I am certainly not a supporter of Craig Busch, but if people want to make comments regarding him then they should be prepared to back it up. Some years ago there were several allegations made by some people regarding things they said they had seen at Zion, but when asked if they would make a sworn statement and go to court on it if required they backed down, some stating they were afraid of recriminations. Craig's main problem seems to have been that he is no businessman, his handling of financial affairs leaves a lot to be desired. Now he is an employee rather than the manager things might change. He has a lot of bad press to over come however, but it remains to see how it will turn out. But as I said before, the Busch women have had their crack at running the place and what have they got to show for it? One dead employee, several dead animals, and the place run into the red. Its time they realised that they have had their chance and its over, time to retire and move on.
Zion Well drift just because it is not in the courts does not mean things have not taken place. You seem willing to dismiss everything that is out there just because they have not been legally adjudicated. I will not go into the intricacies of who said what but I have total faith in the persons I know that they are not fabricating stories to make him look bad. They have no reasons to do that. He was a horrible business man and hopefully the new owners will do quite a bit better.
Of course it doesn't mean they have not taken place, but it sure doesn't mean they have anyway. You may well have total faith in what some people have told you, but without knowing who you or they are its impossible to give your allegations any credibility. I could tell you I have total faith in people who have told me that NZ will be sending soldiers to fight alongside US troops in the invasion of Iran, but you would be a fool to take that as fact not knowing who I am or who the people are I allege to have told me this. The most common thing these various people who have told tales of Craig's action is that they all waited until after they had fallen out with Craig before telling them. Even his mother and sister have waited until Craig was well out of the way before making public incidents they claim took place when he was there. If I saw incidents of brutal cruelty I would report them right away, not wait until I was fired or fell out with the perpetrator or been caught in bed with his partner, before speaking out. So I do find cause to doubt the credibility of people who have waited so long to speak up. Of course if they want to make it official and swear to it, but are not sure how, get in touch with me and I will let you know how to go about it and who to get in touch with.
I wish they would get set straight on this hype about white lions and tigers being an endangered species and a unique gene pool. As most of us know they are neither a separate species or a unique gene pool. Admittedly lions and leopards in the wild are endangered, more so in certain areas. But captive lions certainly are not, and despite several programs going on right now in Africa, white lions were never a common sight and certainly there were never any prides made up of only white lions as some reserves have now. Anyone knowing how lion prides are formed would know that would be impossible in the wild. If Zion wants to gain some respect in zoo keeping fields they should do away with this promotional rubbish about preserving white lions and tigers as an endangered species. Or alternatively they could go the other way and start collecting two headed calves and three legged chickens for display. They are as much an endangered rare species as big white cats. Accountant Ian Stevenson sounds very keen, but I hope he's not basing his ability to run this place on advice just from Craig and from maybe watching the movie "We Bought A Zoo" His comments about the endangered species and his description of the leopard "“The black leopard is wicked; I tell you, the eyes pierce through you,” suggest that his best immediate action is to get in an experiences zoo operator familiar with big cat displays, and listen to their advice. Of course maybe they think they already have one, in which case not much will change I'm afraid.
Well this place has certainly fallen out of the public eye, though I didn't think it would take long for Campbell to move onto something else.
It will most likely be back in the news again within a week - the court hearing for ownership of the big cats is on the 14th of March (unless it gets delayed yet again).
the 14th of March is well and truly passed so I was just googling trying to find something on the court case over the ownership of the cats at Zion and I can't come up with anything. Very odd. Anyway, I did find the following article from yesterday which is also an odd one. Patricia Busch is apparently still the operator of Zion?! (Oh, and the park is now open again to the public). Patricia Busch may lose her licence to operate Zion | Northland News | Local News in Northland And I also found this one: Hungry lions eat into Rabobank?s dues | The National Business Review
The Court Case never happened even though it was scheduled for that day. It's gone to Judicial Mediation if no resolution is met then there will be a hearing around 23 July this year.
