'Turned the corner': Orana Park working to restore reputation
A Christchurch zoo found to have substandard animal welfare procedures has work to do to restore its damaged reputation, leaders say.
After a six-month pause, Orana Wildlife Park will resume taking new animals, following a review prompted by whistleblowers' animal welfare concerns and allegations of a toxic culture.
The Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations of poor animal welfare aired on 1News, while the Orana Wildlife Trust Board asked agency Culture by Design to assess the park's workplace culture.
The final report released in December suggested improvements to animal welfare processes, organisational systems, health and safety, asset management and workplace culture.
Earlier this week, park management confirmed it had met all the ZAA requirements and the pause on incoming animal transfers had been lifted.
On Friday, Orana Wildlife Trust Board co-chairperson Emeritus Professor Ken Hughey admitted people's confidence in the park had taken a hit.
"There's no doubt that the controversies that arose have created uncertainty and angst amongst the community," he said. "We believe we've turned the corner visually and in the way that we approach visitors, and in the things that they can see around the park.
"We're really confident that we have turned that corner."
Visitor numbers dropped last year, but the park was confident they would return. Hughey said the park and its procedures were dramatically different to a year ago.
"We're doing all the work necessary to keep our staff and our animals in a happy place, which is where we should be."
Orana leaders said they were implementing a five-year plan called 'Future Focused', aimed at "strengthening animal welfare practices, enhancing our organisational culture and ensuring long-term sustainability".
The wildlife attraction's books have also faced strain, prompting a request of up to $1.5 million in annual public funding.
Last November, former chief executive Lynn Anderson resigned after 28 years leading the zoo. Successor Rachel Haydon was appointed in February.
"We asked our new CE to do some pretty significant thinking about how we manage our budgets going forward," Hughey said. "We have reserves and we are dipping into our reserves to manage our way forward."
Haydon said she felt "communication" and "trust-building" were some of the positive changes she had tried to introduce during the first few months of her tenure.
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