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Disgusted
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wav the Lion lvlan
and his followersare
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treating her mum,

CraigBusch'ssister
breaksher silence
on the 'violent'man *i:t:;",f #,it!'fr1#iiiilii'J*
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ln happer times ... patricia raised
her three cl
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t was one of the

most successful The three-part Lion Man handler Dalu Mncube was embitteredson, amid
homegrown TV shows seriesshowcasedCraig'swork fatally mauled to death by ailegationsof stolen park
of recent time - at Whangarei'sZion Wildlife white tiger Abu - one of his property, an employment
catapulting its sunny- Gardens- the park he opened most trusted charges. relationsissue,and a personal
faced star, ('Lion Man" Graig in 2003- which put New There was a MAF grievanceclaim flled by Craig.
Busch, to fame in millions of Zealand on the map for the investigationinto the running The Lion Man's devoted,
households around the world. conservationof endangered of the park and the welfare of Iargely female followers have
But behind the scenes tigers and lions in more than the big cats.Eighteenmonths accusedPatriciaof wrestling
it was a different story for 100countries,and made Craig ago MAF removed Craig's Zionfrom her son. But Craig's
those closestto him. an international celebrity. operatoriicence. sister Megan - who appearedin
"The fame got to Craig- Then his world came Craig'selderly mother the series- says nothing could
he changed,"says Craig'slittle crashing down when word PatriciaBusch had already be further from the truth.
sister MeganBusch,speaking got out that, in 2005,he'd taken over the helm of Zion "Mum's given up everything
publicly for the first time. attackedhis former partner of as the managing director. for Craig,"she says."Since
"His egobecamehuge and five years,Karen Greybrook, And so began the rapid decline she moved to Zion to bail him
he becameincreasinglyout also a popular fixture on the of the man who was once out and savethe park, her
of control. TV series. promoted as New Zealand's health has been in huge
"I was my brother's biggest The show was shelved, answer to wildlife warrior decline.I worry about her
fan, but he has destroyed but more trouble followed.A CrocodileHunter Stevelrwin. every single day.
our family. The public will be park volunteer was reportedly A disillusionedCraig,45, "Peopleseem to think mum
shockedwhen they hear the bitten by a lion. Another left Zion for good last October. is leading this life of luxury here
way he'sbehavedbehind worker was bitten by a tiger. The last his family heard, at the park. But she'sgone
closeddoors,and the way Finally,lastMay,Zion'sbeloved Craig- with one failed marriage from having a lovely farmhouse
he's treatedour mum." South African senior cat and four faiied engagements in the country to living in
behind him - had proposed, a portacom next to the cats'
yet again,to anotherwoman, cages- a crampedone-bedroom
and flown to the UK, then box with her office,bedroom
on to South Africa. and kitchen all in one.
Mum Pa'triciais heartbroken "Every day, seven days
- battling failing health, as well a week, she'slocked up in there
as death threats from Craig's on the computer, trying to keep
supporters,she strugglesto Zion going.Her eyesighthas
keep her disgracedeldestson's declined and she's got all these
dream alive. heart problems.The pressures
The 68-year-oldsingle on her are enormous."
mother of three had imagined Frail Patriciadeclined our
retiring in comfort on her farm request for an interview. And
in Cambridge.Instead,she's Megan saysCraig'sbrother
reluctantly inherited her Stephen,a 43-year-oldpersonal
troubled son's legacyof trainer, doesn't talk about the
crippling financial problems situation either. But Megan,36,
and the huge responsibility felt it was time to tell the story
of looking after 40 big cats. behind Craig'sspectacularfall
She'salsobeing dragged from grace,and the devastating
through the courts by her impact his actions have had

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on his once tight-knit family.

Megan now lives at the park,
just a few metres away from
Patricia,in the aouse Craig once
f
shared u'ith his then partner
Karen Greybrook.
It's a virtual palace compared
to Patricia's quarters, but she
won't set foot in the house. Too
many bad memories, says Megan
- not least memories of the night
that Craig attacked Karen in the
upstairs bedroom in January
2005, gashing her head open,
breaking a rib and fracturing
one of her vertebra. He was
convicted of two counts of
assault, and ordered to pay
Karen $8000 in reparation.
Craig was also convicted
of assaulting another girlfriend
l n 1vvt.
Megan, an avid horsewoman
with two national titles in
dressage, says, "Mum was so
concerned about Craig and
Karen, she packed one bag and
went straight to the park, She
thought she was only going to
be here for a few weeks, in a
supporting role. Instead she's
never left.

'Zion wouldn'tbe;
"Mum quickly discovered
that Craig was on the brink of
financial ruin. Unbeknown to
everyone, he d borrowed all this
here today without
money to keep the park going. \\um.Fi!nobgdy
Mum didn't even hesitate to
help him out.
*:* acknowledqesthai - i
"The park was Craig's ileast of olllriy brother'
dream and ali she's ever wanted
in life is for her three children ffi *ffiW;t'::HW:''*.iiiffi
to be happy."
Since Patricia bailed Craig
out flnanciallv and took over as
 *--:tr "-
Itr Wwrry",ffi-qry5:

managing director of.Zion

- in sole chargeof running
the ailingbusiness - she
and Megan and a former
park operator have received
frightening written and #*hq"1-a#ffiffiu
verbal death threats from qt
Craig'sfanatical fans.
An official Facebook ,11*
page was createdin Craig's
honour after he was fired
from Zion.lt now has 44,000
members and is full of hateful
messagesfor the two women
and others at Zion.
Megan saysthat Craig,
furious he was no longer
the public face of Zion
and unable to make any
executive decisions at the
park, was so out of control
towards the end that Patricia
had to hire a security guard
to protect her around the
clock from him.
"He was becoming violent.
He'd burst through the front
door of her place and just
flip out," saysMegan."It was
seriously frightening.
"Mum's a very private
person,but it's time to set
the record straight. Craig
is a very very bitter man.
We believe he's on a
mission to destroy Zion.
His attitude is, if he can't
have it, no-one can." fact that Mum was doing
When Patricia,a skilled such a goodjob.
businesswoman,took over "There's Mum living in her
the job of managing director, little.box, working so hard to
she poured her life savings save'hisdream, and he's here
into savingZion- and her in the big house,well paid as
son. Her farm is now on the the park's operator.With Mum
market, and she'sbeen forced handling the business,all he
to sell her retirement nest egg had to do was play with his
- two Auckland houses. cats.Mum thought that would
"When the Lion Man make him happy, but his
TV seriesended, the number behaviour got more and more
of people coming to the Park out of control. He's always had
plummeted and the donations a temper, and with age it's
stopped coming in," says got worse and worse."
Megan."Mum had to rebuild Megan says she watched,
this place from the bottom. with sadness,the big brother
Zion wouldn't be here today she once adoredbecome
without her. But nobody increasingly verbally
acknowledgesthat - least aggressiveand physically
of all my brother. threatening towards Patricia
"She never even let on to and the park staff. Even Craig's big cats,but Dalu was better, worked full-time and raised
anybody that she was now friend, senior cat handler and Craig knew it. us on her own to be the best
in chargebecauseshe knew Dalu Mncube,had been "The limelight from being that we could be.That's why
how important it was for singled out for abuse. on television really got to this is all so devastating.
Craig,her precious first born, "In the end, it was Dalu who Craig.He loved the attention, "l used to absolutely idolise
' and he loved being the'Lion Craig.l was his biggestfan. But
to keep face.But she didn't get looked after the cats.Craig lost
any thanks," says Megan. interest," saysMegan."What Man',"saysMegan."Can this is not the life our mum
"But after Mum took over, the public don't know is that I ever forgive him for the chosefor herself. Do you think,
the park gradually started he wasn't even here half the way he's behaved?Probably at her age,she imagined her
humming again.Visitor time. He spent a lot of time not - becauseof what he's life to be like this - struggling
numbers were up.Things were partying, gallivanting off to done to Mum. day in and day out, seven daYs
looking good.But instead of Auckland with various women, "My dad left when I was a week in a lion park?
being grateful, Craigwas and jet skiing than he did 19 months old, so it was "Everyday's a battle, and
becoming more and more looking after the animals. just Mum, me, Craig and every day I watch her decline.
angry.He couldn't stand the "Craig has a real gift with Stephen at home. Mum It breatcsmy heart." t@

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