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A financially troubled wildlife park in New Zealand has announced it was compelled to humanely kill two of its senior lions, with the outcome of the other five lions still unclear, following economic struggles.

The private wildlife sanctuary in the northern city of Whangārei ceased operations over the past weekend.

In a social media announcement, the establishment indicated that its owner had put the property up for sale in August, and the group of seven lions, ranging from 18 and 21 years old, would be euthanised “following a tough decision made by the landowner.”

“All possibilities were exhausted. The employees and I are deeply saddened,” said the sanctuary’s operator.

“While it could potentially continue as a lion park under fresh proprietors, such a outcome would require not only the acquisition of the land but considerable capital investment,” the operator explained.

In a subsequent statement, the park verified that two of its lions had been euthanised.

“We recently farewelled two of our lions, both of whom had grave illnesses that were untreatable and were deteriorating. These decisions were made with utmost compassion and deliberation,” the director remarked.

However, there was a “ray of hope” for the other five lions, which the sanctuary had previously indicated would be euthanised.

“A handful of parties have shown interest in acquiring the facility and maintaining care for the lions. While the timeframe is short and the conditions remain unresolved, we are doing everything we can to explore this option and maintain optimism.”

Relocating the lions to a different location was not a “viable or humane alternative” due to their elderly status, the group size involved, and their complex needs.

The park’s announcements were filled with responses from members of the public, pleading for a second chance for the surviving lions, while past workers expressed desire that the sanctuary would rethink the course of action to put them down.

The manager mentioned that among the sympathetic words and messages of sorrow, she had also received menacing and abusive comments.

“This is profoundly disturbing,” she commented. “We recognize that emotions are high, but we appeal for compassion and decency as we navigate this tragic circumstance.”

The property owner chose not to respond.

The government department stated that the determination to put down the big cats was the responsibility of the proprietors, and that it had been notified of the plan.

A deputy director commented that euthanasia had to be performed compassionately, and in line with wildlife regulations.

“An animal welfare inspector will be onsite to verify this is done correctly,” the representative stated. “We are assured that the facility continues to fulfill its wildlife protection and containment responsibilities.”

The facility achieved minor fame in the early 2000s when it was shown on a television show about a celebrity big cat handler.

However, it quickly ran into problems. In 2009, a handler was fatally attacked by a white tiger while cleaning its enclosure.

The facility frequently experienced financial trouble and staffing problems, and changed ownership on several occasions. In 2014, the regulatory body directed the park to cease operations until the enclosures were improved. It reopened in 2021 but entered administration in 2023.