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A struggling wildlife park in New Zealand has announced it was obliged to humanely kill two of its senior lions, with the fate of the other five lions still undecided, following monetary problems.

The privately owned wildlife park in the northern town of Whangārei ceased operations over the past weekend.

In a social media announcement, the facility clarified that its owner had put the property up for sale in August, and the seven lions, aged between 18 and 21 years old, would be euthanised “after a challenging decision made by the property owner.”

“There were no real options left. The team and I are heartbroken,” stated the sanctuary’s operator.

“Even though it may potentially continue as a big cat facility under fresh proprietors, such a future would require not only the purchase of the land but considerable capital investment,” the operator explained.

In a later update, the sanctuary confirmed that two of its lions had been euthanised.

“We recently farewelled two of our lions, both of whom had grave illnesses that were not treatable and were worsening. These choices were made with utmost compassion and thoughtfulness,” the operator remarked.

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

“A few individuals have indicated willingness in purchasing the property and maintaining care for the lions. Although the window is limited and the conditions remain unclear, we are doing our utmost to explore this opportunity and hold onto hope.”

Relocating the lions to an alternate site was not a “viable or compassionate alternative” due to their advanced age, the group size involved, and their complex needs.

The sanctuary’s updates were filled with comments from the community, requesting a stay of execution for the surviving lions, while former staff members expressed optimism that the facility would reconsider the decision to euthanise them.

The director mentioned that amid the kind messages and expressions of sympathy, she had also encountered hostile and abusive messages.

“This is deeply distressing,” she remarked. “We understand that feelings are intense, but we ask for compassion and decency as we manage this tragic predicament.”

The proprietor chose not to respond.

The regulatory body indicated that the determination to humanely kill the cats lay with the landowners, and that it had been informed of the plan.

A senior official explained that euthanasia had to be carried out humanely, and in compliance with animal welfare law.

“An regulatory officer will be on location to confirm this is done properly,” the representative stated. “We are satisfied that the facility continues to meet its wildlife protection and security responsibilities.”

The park achieved a degree of notoriety in the early 2000s when it was shown on a television show about a well-known lion tamer.

However, it soon faced challenges. In 2009, a staff member was mauled to death by a white tiger while cleaning its enclosure.

The sanctuary repeatedly encountered economic issues and workforce challenges, and had multiple owners multiple times. In 2014, the regulatory body instructed the park to cease operations until the habitats were modernized. It resumed operations in 2021 but faced insolvency in 2023.