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Zion wildlife park to face charges over death

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Fri, 04 Dec 2009 6:40p.m.
Whangarei's Zion Wildlife Gardens will face charges over the death of animal handler Dalu Mncube, the Department of Labour said today.

Mr Mncube, 26, died in May after being attacked by a 260kg tiger as he cleaned its enclosure at the gardens.

Charges have been laid under the Health and Safety Act for "failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees while at work" and "failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no hazard that is, or arises in, the place or work harms people who are lawfully at work as employees of a contractor".

The department said it would not name who was being charged until the first court appearance.

NZPA
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Comments [4]

Becky
01 Feb 2010 10:41p.m.

I'm sorry for the loss of Dalu, but I'm sure he was aware of the dangers, Craig always reiterates that they are still animals and have natural instincts, and can never 100% be trusted, same as any animals, even domestic pets. I don't think Dalu would've wanted Craig to have been sacked, he understood the risks and accepted them to have the amazing experience and priveledge of working with these beautiful animals. The last thing he would want is for Craig to be dismissed, and the animals lose their contact, and the amazing conection they have with him.

paulboskett
27 Jan 2010 2:58p.m.

I have come over to NZ from England to see Zion Park. Craig is still a megastar back home and surely, New Zealand are proud of what he has done for wildlife and for conservation. Better than any zoo on earth, Zion Park should be a shining attraction that everyone should know about.

Paul

Daniel
17 Dec 2009 5:54a.m.

DO NOT SHUT ZION WILDLIFE GARDENS!!! Closing the park would be a stupid thing to do as it is a sanctuary dedicated to the preservation of the rarest cats in the world. Get it sorted and get Craig back in before anything else happens. Anyone who is supportive of Craig should use http://craigbusch.easysearch.org.uk/ as their search engine.

Jeannie
05 Dec 2009 5:20a.m.

I hear that Tim Husband has also now left the park, and Mrs Busch holds the operators license. MAF have also been allegedly quoted as saying ZWG "is on it's last legs". What a terrible shame it would be, for Whangerai, New Zealand, and Craig Busch, if this wonderful place were to cease to exist. It's about time all of the issues surrounding the park, were sorted out once and for all, for the sake of these magnificent animals. The NZ legal system needs to move faster.

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