Court orders Lion Man to hand back gear

He gets the crowbar, she gets the chainsaw – the bitter dispute between Lion Man Craig Busch and his mum Patricia has seen a court ordered divvy up of property.

Lion Man Busch has been embroiled in an employment relations authority dispute with his mum who now runs the Zion Wildlife Gardens. He was kicked out as an employee of the Northland big cat park last year.

Mr Busch lodged a personal grievance claiming unjustified disadvantage and dismissal and the park made a number of counterclaims.

ERA member Yvonne Oldfield has now ruled in a dispute over who owns what property.

The park said in the year before he was dismissed Mr Busch "unlawfully converted, stole or locked away" various tools and property of the park. They wanted the gear back.

He claimed the goods were his, saying he set up and equipped the wildlife park in the first place.

During the case the ERA was told by the park that Craig Busch couldn't own any of the property because in a separate case in the Family Court in 2006 Mr Busch had said: " I have few if any personal assets. I do not even have a bank account currently… I do not have any personal assets of any significant nature other than the shares in the relevant companies. "

From a mind-numbingly long list of vehicles, rifles, a tranquiliser gun, down to a roll of fencing wire, extension leads and the crowbar, Ms Oldfield has patiently gone through and ruled on who owns what.

The case revealed a complex arrangement of companies around the park – with the goods owned by a company called Country Developments Limited which then rented or "bailed" the goods to the park for use.

Mr Busch was sole shareholder of Country Developments when it was incorporated in March 1997 and despite being dumped from running the park he remains its majority shareholder, but is no longer a director.

Also involved is Wildlife Pictures Limited which makes the TV series that catapulted Busch and the Zion big cat park to international fame.

Wildlife Pictures films the wildlife park to make the TV series. The ERA said revenue from the most recent, third, series goes directly to a holding company, Primal Productions Limited and is then split 50:50 between Wildlife and another associated company. The park charges Wildlife for filming done at the park in order to recover costs but the park itself gets no revenue from the sale of the finished TV series.

The park was ordered to give back a video camera and film editing equipment to Wildlife Pictures.

The property split has seen Mr Busch lose the 2005 Nissan Patro 3.0ST diesel auto he drives and a big trailer for transporting cats. Amongst other gear going back to the park is the tranquilliser gun, two computers, a Makita power hammer drill, a Stihl chainsaw, various other power tools, a large step ladder, large roll of chain mesh fencing wire and 6 drums of electrical cabling.

He has three days to hand the items back.

But Mr Busch gets to keep three rifles, a power hacksaw, various welding equipment, a host of other tools including drills and hand grinders, two grease guns and a large tin of grease, one crowbar, four extension leads, a fire extinguisher and a telly.

He also gets to keep documentation relating to the importation of the animals, which was done by him in his capacity as trustee of a trust which owns them.

Ms Oldfield commented "from what I understand" neither the parent company Countrywide or the park operating company "purport to own the animals." The park says it reserves the right to chase Mr Busch further to claim for damages.