Orana Wildlife Park to pause taking new animals after report on whisteblower allegations

• Orana Wildlife Park will stop taking new animals for the next six months
• Two separate reports have been finalised following animal welfare and workplace culture concerns
• The Christchurch zoo declined to publicly release the reports in full, due to privacy reasons

Orana Wildlife Park will stop taking new animals for the next six months while staff work on changes recommended by two reviews prompted by whistleblowers' welfare concerns and allegations of a toxic culture at the Christchurch zoo.

The Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations aired on 1News, while the Orana Wildlife Trust Board asked agency Culture by Design to assess the park's workplace culture.

The board released a summary of the investigations' outcomes and recommendations in a document titled 'Future Focused' but declined to publicly release the reports in full, due to privacy reasons.

Board co-chairperson Professor Ken Hughey said it was being upfront.

"We're not trying to hide anything. We are being very clear with what we are doing in the culture space, we've outlined a very wide range of initiatives, in fact, the full range of inititaves we've been asked to deal with," he said.

The zoo association's investigation focused on animal deaths and animal welfare practices, allegations of staff bullying, and work-related health and safety concerns and cultural challenges within the organisation.

Hughey said it would adopt all recommendations from the ZAA review and Culture by Design's report, including a "temporary pause on all incoming animal transfers".

"This will allow the park to focus our resources on current operations and completing other requirements identified in the report," Hughey said in a statement.

"The Orana team remains committed to maintaining and enhancing our systems to uphold animal welfare and our strong safety record."

The ZAA also recommended:

• Orana Wildlife Park provide an "animal welfare accreditation plan" to the zoo association
• Budget planning and policy reviews for improved asset management, maintenance and site safety planning
• A full review of the organisation's culture including an independent governance review

Orana Wildlife Park would also establish a formal process for reporting and addressing animal welfare complaints and incidents, with clear protocols for measuring risk, handling, documenting and resolving matters of concern.

When asked why that was not already in place, Hughey said it was overlooked by the board.

"I think there were things that we as a board could have picked up earlier, probably without the need for people to contact the media and otherwise.

"I think as a board there are processes that we have to improve on, there are accountability lessons, and there are monitoring and reporting lessons."

Debra Ashton, chief executive of animal welfare group SAFE, said she was surprised that the process was not already in place.

"I think that the fact that they didn't have really robust processes and procedures around laying complaints was certainly a concern. I am very surprised that it wasn't picked up by the Ministry for Primary Industries in the first place."

The 1News investigation detailed former and current zookeepers' concerns about the welfare and deaths of animals, alleging some deaths were kept from the public, including a gorilla that died of an infection, a giraffe that dislocated its neck and an otter that was trapped in a pool suction pipe.

A Ministry for Primary Industries assessment found the park was "fit for purpose", with no immediate concerns for animal welfare, apart from a slightly underweight tiger

WorkSafe was satisfied with the park's response to improvement notices issued following an assessment that identified shortcomings with the zoo's health and safety processes and vehicle maintenance.

The board had also advertised for a new Orana Wildlife Park chief executive, following Lynn Anderson's departure last month after 28 years leading the zoo.

Hughey said the trust board looked forward to working closely with the Christchurch City Council, which was undertaking a financial and governance review of the park.

The zoo association's investigation panel consisted of an Australian ZAA board member, an independent animal welfare expert, and an independent organisation focused on workplace culture.

Information was gathered via interviews with Orana Wildlife Park's management, staff and veterinary practitioners, plus an organisation-wide culture survey.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.