Firms help big cats
By DEANNA HARRIS - Whangarei Leader
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Whangarei Leader
Whangarei showed its support for Zion Wildlife Gardens at the weekend despite more negative publicity surrounding the death of Dalu Mncube.
The garden's phones were running hot last week with people wanting to visit, as locals made the most of the special locals’ weekend rates.
Extra staff were called in to help, and since the gardens have a policy to not turn anyone away, everyone who turned up to the gardens without a booking was still offered a tour.
Spokeswoman Sara Reid says about 500 visited the park during the weekend.
The troubled wildlife gardens also had some more positive news last week, with all 41 cats and one baboon adopted by mainly Kamo businesses.
After the three-week closure of the park last month, the Kamo community banded together to support the wildlife gardens through an adoptathon, where local business people sponsored an animal at $20 per week for three months to cover food costs.
One mother and daughter team sponsored six cats.
Start to Smart Pre School and Smarty Pants owner Suzanne McNatty and Glenaldan Lodge Bed and Breakfast owner Gillian Crawford adopted five lions and a cheetah.
Both women live only minutes from the gardens and are aware of their neighbours most mornings.
"We hear them roaring everyday," says Mrs NcNatty.
She says some of the 45 children at her playcentre will be taken on a tour of the park to meet their newly adopted friends, and her family were going on a tour at the weekend.
Mrs Crawford says her bed and breakfast is the closest to the wildlife gardens, which attracts a lot of clients.
She says she adopted the cats because she loves animals and it is a way to support one of Whangarei’s major tourist attractions.
