Lion Man: 'All I want is my park back'

'Lion Man' Craig Busch was accused of 'unlawfully retaining property' during an Employment Relations Authority hearing today.

Northland's "Lion Man" Craig Busch unlawfully retained property when sacked from Whangarei's Zion Wildlife Gardens, an Employment Relations Authority (ERA) hearing was told today.

Mr Busch, 44, has dropped claims against Zion for reinstatement to his job and unjustified dismissal after claiming he was unfairly sacked by his mother, Patricia Busch.

But the park was seeking the return of company property and claiming for loss of income and legal costs due to Mr Busch's action.

Today's hearing was told property unlawfully retained by Mr Busch included a Ford transit van, a Nissan patrol vehicle, two trailers, various guns, a digger, power saw, power hacksaw, welder and a sander.

Tony Drake, representing Mrs Busch, told Mr Busch several Zion staff members had called him a "manipulative liar".

Mr Busch said the staff used to be fine with him, "until park management turned them against me".

Mr Drake suggested Mr Busch still had veterinary records relating to the park, as well as a tranquilliser gun.

"I'm not telling you where the tranquilliser gun is, it's my property," Mr Busch said.

"The money you've wasted here on this hearing could have bought 10 tranquilliser guns."

Mr Drake suggested Mr Busch "didn't give a toss" about leaving the park without a tranquilliser gun, referring to the death of Zion handler Dalu Mncube, who was mauled by a white tiger in May.

ERA member Yvonne Oldfield voiced her objection to his line of questioning.

Mr Drake continued by suggesting to Mr Busch that he had taken property to financially damage the park.

Mr Busch denied that, and said, "all I want is my park back".

"They've left me with nothing," he said.

Daniel Erikson, representing Mr Busch, said Mrs Busch had taken the trailer and put different registration plates on it.

Ms Oldfield said there were items on the list which Mr Busch had said in 2005 belonged to Country Developments Ltd, which he set up in 1997.

"But now you don't work for the company, you now say they belong to you?" Ms Oldfield asked Mr Busch.

He replied there were items on the list which shouldn't be there.

The hearing resumed today, after being postponed last month.

It was adjourned until Tuesday next week for Mrs Busch's cross-examination.

Last month, Ms Oldfield declined an application from Mr Busch for a stay of proceedings.

Mr Busch had argued that High Court proceedings he had taken for reinstatement of his shareholdings and directorships of the park overlapped the subject matter of the counterclaim against him to such an extent that the ERA hearings should be stayed.

Ms Oldfield disagreed, saying the High Court matters would not address issues before her.

- NZPA