“It’s absolutely devastating for us all. The motivation for us [in taking over the lions] was to give them the respect and care that they need, and part of that, sadly, is euthanisation if needed.”
Huha set up the Lionhearts Project to look after the lions and launched a Givealittle campaign to help, and Press-McKenzie said through Lionhearts the public can help with the ongoing care for the remaining four lions.
“However, Timba has also had some health issues, needing a lot of care, but we are hopeful that with the right care ongoing he can continue to live a comfortable life here.”
The remaining lions were moving into new, upgraded facilities completed by the previous owners , and Press-McKenzie said the new area provided a good, safe and interesting environment for them to see out their days.
Huha and Lionhearts were asking people to sponsor the lions to help keep them safe and well looked after long into the future.
She said there was a lot of public interest and love for the lions and their future, and it was hoped that the park could open again in the future, but it would likely be special one-off occasions rather than a full public opening.
Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary
“We understand that there is a big family out there that cares so much about the lions. We do not want to do anything that overwhelms the lions so it may be that we have special open days for sponsors and others, but that will depend on how the lions are doing and we have to keep their best interests at heart,” she said.
Press-McKenzie said having to euthanise a lion was heartbreaking for all concerned, but it was not in Abdullah’s best interests to keep him alive andin pain.
The sanctuary has had a tumultuous history. It was originally known as Zion Wildlife Gardens and was founded by self-taught big cat “wrangler” Craig Busch, who rose to local and international fame through the TV series The Lion Man. The property once housed 33 endangered cats, including lions, white tigers, leopards and cheetahs.
By 2006, the park faced financial difficulties, with Busch accepting a bailout from his mother, Patricia Busch, who became the sole director. Her son was later dismissed in 2008.
In 2009, tragedy struck when zookeeper Dalu Mncube was mauled to death by a white tiger named Abu.
The tiger was shot to allow access to Mncube.
This incident led to temporary closure and safety upgrades. Then, in 2013, Patricia Busch lost control of the park to a finance company because of mortgage defaults.
The Advocate reported that Auckland-based Bolton Equities bought the property in 2014 and invested $9m in upgrades to meet Ministry for Primary Industries [MPI] requirements.
The park business reopened under new management in 2021 under the brand Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary but went into involuntary liquidation two years later. It remained open to the public until late last year.