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Shock as Dreamworld loses man behind Tiger Island attraction

The man who set up one of Dreamworld’s most popular attractions more than 25 years ago has left his job at the Gold Coast theme park.

Dreamworld Tiger Island incident

Dreamworld has lost its “tiger king”, with the shock departure of the man who set up the Gold Coast theme park’s iconic Tiger Island attraction more than a quarter of a century ago.

Patrick Martin-Vegue left the park earlier this month after being made redundant following 27 years in the job.

The world-renowned tiger expert was poached from the US in 1995 to set up Dreamworld’s Tiger Island attraction, which quickly became one of Queensland’s top tourism drawcards.

Dreamworld’s former Tiger Island manager Patrick Martin-Vegue with two of his furry friends. Picture: Nigel Hallett
Dreamworld’s former Tiger Island manager Patrick Martin-Vegue with two of his furry friends. Picture: Nigel Hallett

His sudden departure has rocked current and former staff amid concerns the theme park is focusing more on its rides than its animal attractions after being slammed by the pandemic and the 2016 Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy in which four tourists died.

Dreamworld was recently embroiled in controversy when it was revealed the park’s owners, Ardent Leisure, had “repurposed” almost $3 million in taxpayer funds earmarked for a major koala research facility for its new $32 million Steel Taipan rollercoaster.

Almost $3m in taxpayer cash handed to Dreamworld for a koala-research facility was instead repurposed and used to build the theme park’s Steel Taipan rollercoaster
Almost $3m in taxpayer cash handed to Dreamworld for a koala-research facility was instead repurposed and used to build the theme park’s Steel Taipan rollercoaster

“There’s been concern for a while at the direction of the park,” a Dreamworld insider said.

“They’re so focused on the rides that they’ve forgotten about the animals. They don’t even have an in-house vet.”

The park has lost several experienced animal staff in recent years, including respected former life sciences manager Al Mucci and two tiger handlers.

It’s understood the park’s next most senior handler, Simon Murray, only recently returned to work after being injured in an incident on Tiger Island.

Dreamworld senior tiger handler Simon Murray
Dreamworld senior tiger handler Simon Murray

Dreamworld is believed to have recently hired three rookie tiger handlers and insiders say there are concerns about how Tiger Island will be managed with the loss of Mr Martin-Vegue.

Former Dreamworld Tiger Island manager Patrick Martin-Vegue swims with the tigers. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT
Former Dreamworld Tiger Island manager Patrick Martin-Vegue swims with the tigers. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Arden Leisure chairman Gary Weiss told The Courier-Mail last month that Dreamworld could have shut permanently or been sold off at a “knockdown price” as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the company’s bottom line.

“They were very dark days for us,” Dr Weiss said, adding that only a $67 million lifeline from the Palaszczuk Government and federal JobKeeper payments had saved the park.

Patrick Martin-Vegue with tiger Baghdad and two of her 43 cubs at Marine World California in 1988.
Patrick Martin-Vegue with tiger Baghdad and two of her 43 cubs at Marine World California in 1988.

Mr Martin-Vegue was the face of Tiger Island, one of only two interactive tiger exhibits in the world when it opened.

Over the years, he oversaw the arrival of a series of new Bengal and Sumatran tiger cubs born in captivity at Dreamworld as well as adult tigers brought from other zoos in Australia and overseas as part of worldwide conservation and breeding programs.

A Dreamworld spokeswoman confirmed Mr Martin-Vegue was “no longer with the business and we wish him the best with his future endeavours”.

“Tiger Island continues to operate as normal and long-standing Tiger Island supervisor Simon (Murray) has been promoted to a senior supervisor role,” she said.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/shock-as-dreamworld-loses-man-behind-tiger-island-attraction/news-story/9eead4ddbe941b8b8a69c785b923a0bb