'Lion Man' says he was sacked without warning

Lion Man" Craig Busch said today he was dismissed from the Northland wildlife park which helped make him famous without notice and without being given any warnings.

He was giving evidence at an investigative meeting before Employment Relations Authority member Yvonne Oldfield into his claim for reinstatement to his job at Zion Wildlife Gardens in Whangarei.

Mr Busch, who became famous worldwide through his Lion Man television series, was sacked from the park run by his mother Patricia Busch late last year.

He said he had been an owner of the business before 2006.

That year he took up a position as a park operator, though he didn't realise he was an employee until after his ejection from the park.

He said he was paid a wage and that he understood any budgeting decisions relating to the park were to be made on a joint basis. He said he never signed a formal employment contract.

Mr Busch said there had been few problems until early 2008. He had no formal budget to work with but dealt well with his mother and Michael Bailey over funding and work issues.

But by March 2008, Mr Busch said his relationship with his mother and Mr Bailey deteriorated.

"Things started really coming apart after they got the last tape off from the third (television) series," Mr Busch said.

"After that they stopped staff from working with me, they wouldn't let me discuss anything with them about the park.

"I became very concerned with animal welfare issues. If there wasn't, I wouldn't have brought MAF in."

A Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) investigation expressed concern that animals were kept in crowded, insanitary conditions.

Mr Busch said he was well aware of safety issues and wanted to do something but was not allowed the money to do anything.

Despite his concern, he said that when there were incidents the public blame was all laid at his feet.

He said he wasn't allowed to have meetings with staff and when he tried to approach his mother the door was shut on him.

Eventually, he closed the popular interactive tours as the staff he needed to help were not allowed with him, and because the designated areas for interacting with the lions were no longer adequate due to the age and size of the animals.

Mr Busch said his dismissal by operations manager Barry Nalder was not carried out in the right way.

"There were no warnings or anything, it was just straight out 'get rid of him and that's it'."

Mr Nalder told Ms Oldfield that the park was dysfunctional when he was called in.

There had been a complete breakdown in the work relationship between Mrs Busch and her son and she was taking steps to rectify the situation.

Ms Oldfield said she needed to consider exactly what the conditions of Mr Busch's employment were, the breakdown in the relationship with his mother, whether his dismissal was justified and whether the correct process was followed.

A final decision on the case is not expected for several months.

Mr Busch is also taking other action outside the employment matter in relation to revenues from the business and from the television series which he says he is owed.

Mr Busch revealed at the meeting that he is also due to give evidence in court on Thursday afternoon as a witness in connection to a tyre-slashing incident.

- NZPA