Latest news with #ZAA
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
'Turned the corner': Orana Park working to restore reputation
By Adam Burns of RNZ 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.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Orana Wildlife Park upgrade animal welfare, workplace culture after damning report
Giraffes at Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns 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. Orana Wildlife Trust Board co-chairperson Emeritus Professor Ken Hughey admitted people's confidence in the park had taken a hit. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns "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". Orana Wildlife Trust Board co-chairperson Emeritus Professor Ken Hughey and Orana chief executive Rachel Haydon. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns 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. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Orana Wildlife Park resumes taking in animals after six-month pause due to welfare allegations
A zebra foal with its mum at Orana Wildlife Park. (File photo) Photo: Supplied / Orana Wildlife Park Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park will resume taking new animals following a six-month pause following a review prompted by whistleblowers' animal welfare concerns and allegations of a toxic culture. The Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) launched an independent investigation at the zoo in July last year, 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. Orana Wildlife Park said it had met all the requirements set by the ZAA and the pause on incoming animal transfers had been lifted. Orana Wildlife Trust Board co-chairperson Emeritus Professor Ken Hughey said the outcome reflected the organisation's commitment to positive change. "This is a significant step forward. Our team has worked tirelessly to strengthen governance, systems, and processes. The ZAA review has been a catalyst for transformation, and we're proud of the progress made." Hughey said public support had been invaluable. "We want to thank the people of Canterbury and beyond for standing by us. Our team are motivated and remain deeply committed to delivering the highest standards of care to our animals, and as we look toward Orana Wildlife Park's 50th anniversary in 2026, we're focused on the future with confidence and purpose." "We're implementing a five-year vision called Future Focused, aimed at strengthening animal welfare practices, enhancing our organisational culture, and ensuring long-term sustainability. This includes the establishment of a new Animal Welfare Advisory Group to provide independent guidance and ensure ongoing best practice in animal care." The Orana Wildlife Trust Board released a summary of the investigations' outcomes and recommendations last year but declined to publicly release the reports in full, due to privacy reasons. Recommendations included a temporary pause on all incoming animal transfers and for the park to provide an animal welfare accreditation plan to the zoo association. The zoo 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. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
