Lion Man and mum in new legal stoush

Craig Busch - the 'Lion Man' - at the Zion Wildlife Park, where the future of 36 big cats at the park are to be considered at an urgent hearing. Photo / APN

Zion Wildlife Gardens operator Patricia Busch is suing her son - Lion Man Craig Busch - for defamation over a video he posted online.

Mrs Busch and her business consultant Michael Bailey are suing Mr Busch and his spokeswoman Jill Ward for $100,000 in general and punitive damages through the Whangarei District Court.

Ms Ward yesterday confirmed the claim would be defended but refused to make further comment because the matter was before the court.

In August 2010, lawyer Steve Barter asked Mr Busch and Ms Ward to remove the clip and to publish a retraction.

Mr Barter said when they failed to act, court proceedings were filed, with claims of $50,000 in general and another $50,000 in punitive damages.

He has asked the court for a permanent injunction preventing Mr Busch and his spokeswoman from making or publishing statements relating to his clients, or any companies associated with them.

He also seeks an order that they remove the video clip and all links containing the defamatory statements.

Auckland District Court will hear the case at the end of February.

Meanwhile, the park and its assets can now be sold after Mrs Busch consented to the sale.

The sale, however, will not include 36 big cats because their ownership is expected to be decided by the High Court in Whangarei next month.

Receivers PriceWaterhouseCoopers has an offer from an interested party - details of which were suppressed by Justice Mark Woolford at the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday.

Mrs Busch's lawyer Evgeny Orlov asked the court to view the sale agreement because he was concerned the offer was from his client's son.

Citing commercial sensitivity, Justice Woolford allowed the lawyer only to see an abridged version of the document - with names and figures left out.

Mr Orlov took exception to that but Justice Woolford said it was normal practice to allow confidentiality in such matters, especially given the sale had not been completed.

PwC lawyer Justin Toebes said the hearing on Wednesday was nothing to do with euthanising the animals but was normal process in ending a receivership.

The case was adjourned to next Friday but if both parties agree to a deal outside court, next week's hearing will not proceed.

The High Court in Whangarei will next month hear arguments on who owns the animals.

An injunction obtained by Mr Busch prevents the sale or transfer of the big cats.