Drag smear email stuns wildlife boss

Drewry said the images, taken seven years ago when he attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show, were lifted from a friend's Facebook page. Photo / Ben Fraser

A wildlife sanctuary boss is lost for words after photos of him dressed in drag were sent to Wellington City Councillors with a poison pen letter.

Acting chief executive of Zealandia, Russell Drewry, said he was the target of an "unpleasant and malicious email attack" after the images were sent to councillors and Zealandia employees on Wednesday.

Drewry said the images, taken seven years ago when he and a friend attended a performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, were lifted from a friend's Facebook page.

He questioned the timing of the email, sent on the eve of a Zealandia management meeting with the council over increased funding.

"I [can't] explain why anyone would do this and go to the effort of doing it to tarnish my reputation and the reputation of Zealandia, which is an institution that certainly doesn't deserve this," Drewry said.

Drewry said his partner, with whom he has a 23-month-old child, was concerned he had been the target of an attack.

Wellington City councillor Paul Eagle said he and others who had received the email were puzzled. "It is just one of those thing you look at and go, 'What?' If we didn't know who [Drewry] was before, we do now."

The name of the sender and contact details in the email were false, Drewry said.

He wouldn't lay a complaint with police as he was unsure whether anything would be done.

"Unfortunately in the electronic world we live in, there is not much you can do if you are subject to that sort of attack."