New Organism incidents

ERMA New Zealand defines an incident as an event involving a new organism or hazardous substance that may or may not involve non-compliance with regulatory requirements and/or cause adverse effects to human health and safety, or the environment.

Incidents can be identified by ERMA New Zealand through our monitoring of compliance or reported to us by enforcement agencies, identified through media monitoring or otherwise advised to us e.g. by a member of the public.

ERMA New Zealand registers incidents in order to monitor the effectiveness of the regulatory system and the appropriateness of controls.

Incidents 2005 - 2006

Incident Registered operator of Hamilton Zoo advised MAF that he was no longer employed by the Hamilton City Council, responsible for the zoo.
Date reported November 2005
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The Hamilton City Council acted promptly and appointed an acting operator.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident MAF Compliance and Enforcement Group investigated the importation of 11 aquatic plants, which are new organisms.
Date reported November 2005
Source of report MAF
Location Border detection
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management MAF laid charges under the HSNO Act for the illegal importation and possession of new organisms; prosecution of the importer pending at 30 June 2006.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand ERMA New Zealand received an application from MAF (S2605003) as to whether 12 aquatic plant species were new organisms and found 11 to be new organisms under the HSNO Act. No inquiry conducted.
Incident Escape of a female ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) from its enclosure at Hamilton Zoo.
Date reported December 2005
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The lemur was out of containment for about half an hour before being caught.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Zookeeper was mauled by two lions (Panthera leo) within their enclosure at Wellington Zoo.
Date reported January 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety The zookeeper was admitted to hospital and suffered a neck injury, lacerations and puncture wounds. There were no public safety issues.
Incident management Wellington Zoo reviewed keeper procedures and improved gate security processes.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Escape of two spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) from their moat enclosure at Auckland Zoo.
Date reported February 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The monkeys were briefly out of containment. Zoo staff trimmed branches over-hanging the public side of the moat.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Zookeeper was knocked down by a blackbuck (Antelope cervicapra) at Hamilton Zoo as staff moved the herd down a raceway.
Date reported February 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety Zookeeper was injured with mild concussion and a broken collarbone. There were no public safety issues.
Incident management The zoo undertook a review of procedures for moving animals and the raceway design.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident The Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health imported a human cell line which they subsequently discovered to be genetically modified. The unapproved importation was inadvertent.
Date reported February 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The Institute transferred the human cell line to a registered containment facility on the campus where the cell line was subsequently destroyed.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand Inquiry conducted (see INQ05001below)
Incident Escape of a serval cat (Felis serval) from its enclosure at Auckland Zoo.
Date reported February 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The serval cat was out of containment for about half an hour before being caught. Staff removed a light fitting from the enclosure and placed electric hotwire around the top of the fence below the boardwalk. The animal has been relocated to an Australian zoo.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Escape of ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) from Auckland Zoo.
Date reported February 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The lemur was returned to the zoo two days later following discovery on a property adjoining the zoo. The zoo trimmed trees within the enclosure and reviewed animal escape procedures.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Escape of a female ringtail lemur (Lemur catta) from its enclosure at Hamilton Zoo.
Date reported March 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The zoo immediately repaired a broken wire found to be shorting out the electric rigger fence of the enclosure. The lemur was recaptured the following day within the zoo boundary.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident A cleaner at the MAF Plant & Environment Laboratory removed a biohazard bag containing general laboratory rubbish from the facility without authorisation.
Date reported March 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management A review of procedures relating to waste removal was conducted by the laboratory with the cleaning company.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident The registered operator of Cawthron Institute left without a replacement being appointed by the facility.
Date reported March 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The Institute acted promptly to appoint a new operator.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Registered operator at Wellington Zoo had left prior to formalisation by MAF of new operator approval.
Date reported April 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management Suitable replacement operator was working at the zoo.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident A butterfly was removed from its enclosure at the Butterfly & Orchid Garden, Thames by a school party member.
Date reported May 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The butterfly was found outside the Thames Shopping Mall and returned to zoo the same day.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Escape and return of a female ring-tailed lemur from the lemur enclosure at Hamilton Zoo.
Date reported June 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management The zoo immediately undertook strengthening of the mesh enclosure fence zoo. They will evaluate whether the enclosure is appropriate for the lemurs or if one lemur is repeatedly escaping, and if so, consider options for her to be moved to another enclosure or site.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted
Incident Escape of three otters from their enclosure at Auckland Zoo, with one otter breaching the zoo boundary. The animals escaped their enclosure under a nesting box, reinstated in the exhibit, which had not been secured properly by staff.
Date reported June 2006
Source of report MAF
Location Containment
Effects on environment and/or health and safety None identified
Incident management Two of the otters returned to their enclosure by the next day however one animal remained at large for 27 days before capture on Rangitoto Island. The zoo reviewed maintenance procedures to ensure all work is satisfactorily completed before animals are allowed access.
Follow-up action by ERMA New Zealand No inquiry conducted

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