THE SHOCKING loss of hand-raised hen Betty White has strengthened Oakvale Wildlife Park's resolve to show the world how important it is to care for animals.
The Hunter-based, family-run organisation was shaken when a visitor allegedly plucked the silkie chicken from her enclosure and threw her to a nearby alligator pen, where she was killed.
Oakvale Wildlife Park owner Kent Sansom said the park had never had to deal with an act like the one that allegedly unfolded on the afternoon of January 2 in more than 43 years of operation.
He said he couldn't change what happened to the chicken - who went by the name Betty White - but if people could learn from it, incidents might be prevented.
"Part of our role as a wildlife park is to actually educate people about caring for our beautiful wildlife, whether it be native or domestic animals," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"They're all beautiful and we just want to teach people to care for them.
"Any animal really, they don't want anything other than love."
Betty White, a Chinese Silkie Bantam, was hatched and hand-raised by a keeper at Oakvale Wildlife Park about four years ago.
"She was a great chook," Mr Sansom said.
The handlers work with the animals one-on-one every day, and were rattled by the alleged act of animal cruelty.
"They were certainly disappointed when it happened," Mr Sansom said.
"Whenever you work with animals, you wear your heart on your sleeve, you love them, all our staff are passionate about animals and just want to care for them the best way we can."
He said Betty White's calm nature and fondness for humans had made her vulnerable.
The sanctuary's desire to "spread joy and change hearts" meant visitor interaction was important.
The park also has a steadfast commitment to conservation and sustainability.
As a surrogate mum, Betty White was one of the golden girls of the park's breeding program for the endangered Bush Stone Curlew.
"A hen like Betty is just a great mother," Mr Sansom said.
"She has had chickens of our own and she's reared other Bush Stone Curlew chicks."
The birds are threatened and can be notoriously bad parents, so Betty White was tasked to sit on the eggs and raise them until they could be re-released back into the wild.
Betty White, though not the park's most high-profile resident, was known by regular visitors and words of support have flowed since her death.
"We're a very community-based business, so without our customers we wouldn't be here today," Mr Sansom said.
Police and the RSPCA were called to Oakvale Wildlife Park at Salt Ash after the alleged act was reported, and footage was handed over.
A 57-year-old man is set to front court next month, charged with committing an act of aggravated cruelty on an animal.
