A Tauranga business consultant is seeking to liquidate the operator of Zion Wildlife Park after he claims he wasn't paid for more than three months work.

Sam Bailey has made an application in the High Court in Tauranga to liquidate Earth Crest Limited who operates the park where the Lion Man previously worked.

Lion Man Craig Busch at the Zion Wildlife Park.

The application had its first reading in Tauranga today before the case was adjourned until May 21.

Sam claims he was employed by the owner and sole director of the park's operating company - Suzanne Eisenhut - after Lion Man Craig Busch's return to the park in February 2012.

Suzanne was earlier reported in other media to be Craig's partner. Craig is understood to be out of the country, possibly in Africa, where he is said to be based at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve about 40km north-west of Johannesburg for about a year.

Justin Arnold, who appeared as agent for the defendant's lawyers today, says the application will be defended on the grounds it is an Employment Court matter, and that the defendant is not insolvent. He also questioned the venue saying is should be heard in Whangarei.

'I would have thought if the defendant was serious about the question of venue there would have been something filed, an application with a supporting affidavit showing why it should be heard in Whangarei rather than here,” says associate High Court Judge Jeremy Doogue.

He added that he would not be abandoning an open hearing for a telephone hearing in chambers. Defence affidavits are to be filed by May 8, and any affidavits in reply submitted by May 17.

Zion Wildlife Park gained international reputation after Lion Man Craig Busch starred in a television series about his wildlife park in Whangarei.

Troubles at the park began when Lion Man Craig Busch was locked out of the park by his mother Patricia Busch in 2008. She managed it because, as a director, she approved an application by Glen Holland to apply for an operator licence in October 2008.

Craig then returned to the park after new owners, Tracey McVerry and Tauranga accountant Ian Stevenson, took charge and re-named it Zion Wildlife Kingdom in February 2012.

On 5 April, 2012 the facility was reopened as Kingdom of Zion. Day to day management of the facility is through Earth Crest Limited.

A wildlife park such as Zion requires two licences. The containment facility licence applies to the standard of safety concerning the animals' containment, and their welfare. The second licence is the operator licence issued to a person or a company. It's for overall management and control of the containment facility for the cats.

If successful the liquidation application will put the parks 34 big cats at risk.