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A beleaguered wildlife sanctuary in New Zealand has announced it was obliged to humanely kill two of its older lions, with the fate of the remaining five lions still unclear, following financial difficulties.

The privately owned wildlife sanctuary in the northern city of Whangārei closed its doors over the past weekend.

In a social media update, the facility indicated that its proprietor had put the property up for sale in August, and the group of seven lions, ranging from 18 and 21 years old, would be put down “following a difficult decision made by the property owner.”

“There were no real options left. The team and I are devastated,” said the park’s director.

“Although it might possibly continue as a big cat facility under different management, such a scenario would require not only the purchase of the land but substantial capital investment,” the director noted.

In a subsequent announcement, the facility announced that two of its lions had been euthanised.

“We recently farewelled Imvula and Sibili, both of whom had significant medical issues that were not treatable and were worsening. These choices were made with deep care and deliberation,” the manager stated.

However, there was a “ray of hope” for the remaining five lions, which the park had earlier indicated would be euthanised.

“A handful of parties have expressed interest in purchasing the facility and maintaining care for the lions. Although the deadline is short and the circumstances remain unresolved, we are doing all we can to explore this option and maintain optimism.”

Relocating the lions to another facility was not a “practical or ethical option” due to their elderly status, the group size involved, and their complex needs.

The sanctuary’s updates were filled with responses from the community, begging for a reprieve for the other big cats, while former staff members expressed optimism that the sanctuary would rethink the plan to put them down.

The operator mentioned that alongside the kind messages and words of condolence, she had also received menacing and abusive remarks.

“This is deeply distressing,” she commented. “We understand that passions are strong, but we request consideration and decency as we navigate this devastating predicament.”

The property owner declined to comment.

The government department indicated that the determination to euthanise the lions lay with the landowners, and that it had been informed of the intention.

A senior official explained that humane killing had to be conducted ethically, and in line with wildlife regulations.

“An animal welfare inspector will be onsite to confirm this is done properly,” the representative said. “We are confident that the establishment continues to meet its animal welfare and enclosure requirements.”

The park attained some recognition in the early 2000s when it appeared on a television show about a famous animal trainer.

However, it soon ran into problems. In 2009, a handler was killed by a white tiger while performing maintenance.

The sanctuary frequently encountered monetary difficulties and staffing problems, and switched proprietors on several occasions. In 2014, the government agency instructed the park to close until the habitats were upgraded. It reopened in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.