Former NBC star Matt Lauer’s South Island paradise is at the center of controversy after animal rights activists exposed footage of his sheep farming operation. PETA’s sting into the Asia-Pacific wool industry has targeted Hunter Valley Station, a sprawling 16,000-acre (25 square mile) property that Lauer purchased for $9.2 million in 2017. That was just months before he was fired from Today after allegations of sexual harassment and rape. , he denied it and was never charged.
The farm is run by tenants and is one of 11 facilities inspected by the organization over the past year, according to the New York Post. PETA president Ingrid Newkirk told the Post: “Matt Lauer’s escape in New Zealand is hell for a frightened sheep who is being jumped around, pinned down and chopped up.” “PETA wants Mr. Lauer to clean up his bloody wool business.”
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Inquiry documents troubling incidents at Hunter Valley Farming, including when sheep were allegedly “beaten, punched in the face and sewn up with needle and thread without painkillers” claims. PETA’s report also states that the animal was “lifted off the ground, dropped onto a hard floor, and then pushed through a chute leading to a cage.” The findings are detailed in a 48-page notarized affidavit provided to the Post.
The property, known as Hunter Valley Station, is about two hours north of Queenstown and features a “five-bedroom lakeside homestead” with views of the Southern Alps. The property includes hiking trails, a rustic rental lodge, an Angus cattle ranch, and is the only access to Hawea Conservation Park along Lake Hawea, home to salmon and trout.
A spokesperson for Lauer told the New York Post that the former host had “no knowledge of any alleged problems on his property” until asked for comment. “He was extremely upset and saddened to hear of what allegedly happened and immediately launched his own investigation into the tenant’s operations, which is currently underway,” it added, adding that PETA has not contacted him regarding the complaint. He added that it had never happened.
“The horrific abuses recorded in the Hunter Valley are typical of the wool business as a whole,” Jack Sadashige, PETA’s corporate responsibility manager, told the Post. The facility’s operators, Digby and Hannah Cochrane, who have managed Hunter Valley farming for decades, defended their practices. “When shearing sheep, we employ independent shearing contractors to shear the sheep and they work in accordance with New Zealand industry accepted guidelines and practices.” they said, adding that Lauer had reached out to discuss PETA’s allegations.
The farm is part of New Zealand’s significant wool industry, with New Zealand ranked as the third largest wool producer in the world. The business produces ZQ-certified wool, marketed as “the world’s leading ethical wool brand” and used by major companies such as Allbirds, Smartwool and Loro Piana.
