Filing of charges in the Zion Wildlife Gardens case delayed

Charges will be filed in connection with the death of South African lion keeper Dalu Mncube at Zion Wildlife Gardens in Whangarei last year, says New Zealand's Department of Labour.

In front of tourists, the twenty-six-year-old keeper was mauled to death by a white tiger in May while cleaning the animal's enclosure with a colleague. For some time, the second keeper tried to beat the tiger off the downed man with a stick until one of the workers shot the big cat.

Park representatives were due to appear in the Whangarei District Court last Wednesday, but the filing of charges was adjourned until mid-February without a plea being entered. All charges are being brought against Zion Wildlife Gardens as a single entity, with no charges against any individuals. Nevertheless, a spokesperson for the Department of Labour said that, in the interests of the investigation, they could not confirm whether the charges had been brought against specific individuals or the organisation.

Two charges were filed under section 6 of the "Health and Safety" part of the Employment Act for "failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of staff at work". Other charges were filed under section 16 of the Act for "failing to take all practicable steps to prevent a hazard that is, or arises, in the workplace and harms people who are lawfully at work as the employer's employees".

The wildlife park on the outskirts of Whangarei became famous thanks to the television series "The Lion Man", which was broadcast all over the world.