[citation needed] On his return to New Zealand in 1996, Busch built Zion Wildlife Gardens, initially in Kerikeri where he leased a property from the Cornelius family,[who?]
[citation needed] In 2002 Busch purchased five white tigers from Bonnie Ringo of Cave Junction, Oregon in the United States.
The allegations included the inhumane killing of unwanted cubs with rocks, beating of two lions with a short stick, and putting the lives of staff at risk by having them run with tigers.
[14] During mid-January 2012, the Northern Advocate reported a defamation suit was being taken against Busch and his spokeswoman Jill Albrow for statements and actions taken relating to a video uploaded on YouTube in August 2010.
[16] In February 2012, current affairs programme Campbell Live revealed Busch had not reported injuries to a young boy by a lion cub, during his tenure as operator of Zion Wildlife Gardens.
Footage included in the programme also showed Busch pulling a lion on a chain, and of one animal being subjected to physical punishment.
[9][10] In the same month, the New Zealand-based current affairs programme Campbell Live aired an item concerning serious allegations made against Busch by Ed Hern of the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve, and Fred Berrange of the Leopard Conservation Project, both based in South Africa, of unpaid loans and stolen film footage.
Presiding judge John McDonald ruled that Busch was required to pay the sum of $86,351.47 for the legal work carried out, as well as interest and costs.
[19] From 2000 to 2008, during Busch's tenure as Zoo Operator, 30 (21 lions and 9 tigers) of the big cats were declawed,[20] a "restricted" surgical procedure in New Zealand.
[8][9] There were allegations by his employers Zion Wildlife Gardens Limited that he failed to keep proper training records, could not follow correct cash handling procedures, had caused a loss of revenue due to sudden and unexplained cancellation of tours, undertook major breaches of safety protocols and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
[24] From 2014 to 2015 Busch became star of a new reality TV series, The Lion Man: African Safari, on the Discovery Channel's Animal Planet network.