Whangārei big cat park: Tickets for sale ahead of public opening

Operations director Janette Vallance and her team will welcome the public to the Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary from next week. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Big cats at the Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary are roaring back to life and the public can finally walk through the gates from Tuesday next week.

Ticket sales for the opening week are limited because the big cats are getting used to seeing people again.

The exact number of visitors at a time is unclear but it's believed to be 25.

Between today and Monday next week, the park will host farmers and locals who have helped the sanctuary over the years before the public can visit from Tuesday.

After a prolonged closure, the Ministry for Primary Industries last month granted park operators all licences to operate as a containment facility which means it can open the premises to the public.

Since 2013, the park has been unable to open to the public as it had frequently been asked to upgrade facilities, build significant new containment facilities, provide all that is required for animal welfare and maintain staffing at a level that can sustain public access.

Big Cats Ltd operates the park and money for operational expenses and asset investment comes from Bolton Equities.

There are three ticket options. Bronze entry which includes all day park access at $37 for adults and $21 a child 14 years and over but does not included a guided park tour.

Silver entry at $49 per adult and $32 for a child includes guided park tour while gold pass also includes handfeeding the big cats. Entry is $86 adult, $331 for a family pass, and $770 group pass that covers 10 people.

Guided tours are at 11am, 1pm, and 2pm. Children cannot enter the park without a paying adult. Those buying tickets and visiting the park will need to be double vaxxed.

The sanctuary houses nine African lions, six Barbary lions (extinct in the wild), three Bengal tigers, a cheetah (oldest in the country) and New Zealand's only leopard.

Bolton Equities has spent close to $10 million on the park over the past four years.

MPI first ordered the park closed to the public between July 1 and July 31, 2014, while the animal enclosures were upgraded to meet new standards.

The closure was extended until August 31 that year, but the upgrade was not finished.

MPI deputy director general Vince Arbuckle said the ministry had assessed the facility and its operations as compliant with the requirements of the Zoo Containment Standard and the Biosecurity Act.

"We have now granted conditional approval to Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary to operate as a containment facility. This means that they will now be able to open the park to the public.

"We have required some conditions to ensure the sanctuary can open in a safe way for the animals, the staff on site and the public, especially given its past history. MPI will continue to actively monitor the situation, with the welfare and safety of the animals as a top priority."