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Orana Wildlife Park on the northern outskirts of Christchurch says the activities of boy racers are threatening endangered animals.
"Burnouts" by boy racers happened most Friday and Saturday nights within about 400 metres of the park's entrance, Orana animal collection manager Ian Adams said today.
"The noise they make at night causes immense stress to our animals," he said.
The boy racer fraternity's "entire activity" posed a serious fire risk.
"Flares, oil and hot rubber are not a good mix with endangered animals and the mess they make is disgusting," Mr Adams said.
Animals at the park were frightened by loud noises in the middle of the night.
A kangaroo startled by the boy racers recently had injured ligaments and tendons in its hind legs.
"Thankfully the kangaroo has recovered but had we needed to operate it would have cost us more than $4000," Mr Adams said.
The road near the park was littered with debris. Oil slicks and rubber saturated the asphalt and park staff had found used flares, cigarette butts and rubbish, suggesting the racers posed a huge fire risk to the park and surrounding area.
Orana Wildlife Trust chief executive Lynn Anderson implored the racers to have more consideration for the animals.
"Most are precious endangered species that are part of international conservation breeding programmes and they are irreplaceable," she said.
- NZPA
