Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park animals suffering ‘serious injuries and harm’ as boy racers do skids and burnouts outside

Police say a number of animals at Orana Wildlife Park have been 'adversely impacted'.

A number of animals at Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park have been injured by boy racers doing skids and burnouts outside the zoo.

A police spokesperson said the driving behaviour has “adversely impacted” some animals, as well as causing significant stress to staff at the park.

“There is also an extreme fire risk posed by this activity that could have potentially devastating effects on the park.”

Police launched Operation Gumtree, targeting the “anti-social road user behaviour”.

“The operation identified 16 vehicles involved in offending. Ten of the vehicles identified have already been impounded, and inquiries are under way to locate the remaining six vehicles.”

Some of the vehicles had been identified as committing multiple offences - either on the same night or over several nights.

“The message for participants is clear: those involved can expect to be held accountable for their actions.”

The Orana Wildlife Park, just outside Christchurch, has been a family favourite since 1976.

Set just off McLeans Island Rd, it has giraffes, lions, gorillas, rhinos, meerkats and other endangered exotic and native species.

An Orana Wildlife Park spokesman said the team was “very concerned” about the behaviour, which had caused “some serious abrasions and bruising” to some of their farmyard animals.

“In other cases, injuries may not be visible because the animals we are privileged to hold are renowned for internalising stress, the impacts of which can manifest later and have long-lasting effects,” the spokesman said.

“For example, a critically-endangered native bird species we breed for release to the wild, the impacts may be on breeding behaviour and even the success of eggs and/or egg quality.

“We also have serious concerns about the potential fire risk of this activity, which would threaten the park and our conservation efforts.”

Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.