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

The private wildlife park in the northern town of Whangārei ceased operations over the weekend.

In a online post, the establishment clarified that its proprietor had put the property up for sale in August, and the seven lions, ranging from 18 and 21 years old, would be put down “after a difficult decision made by the landowner.”

“All possibilities were exhausted. The team and I are deeply saddened,” said the park’s director.

“Even though it may possibly continue as a lion park under new ownership, such a scenario would require not only the purchase of the land but considerable capital investment,” the manager explained.

In a recent statement, the facility verified that two of its lions had been humanely killed.

“We had to part with two of our lions, both of whom had grave illnesses that were incurable and were declining. These decisions were made with utmost compassion and thoughtfulness,” the manager stated.

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

“A handful of parties have expressed interest in purchasing the establishment and maintaining care for the lions. While the timeframe is short and the circumstances remain unresolved, we are doing everything we can to explore this possibility and maintain optimism.”

Relocating the lions to another facility was not a “viable or humane choice” due to their advanced age, the quantity of animals involved, and their complex needs.

The facility’s posts were overwhelmed by messages from members of the public, pleading for a reprieve for the other big cats, while past workers expressed desire that the sanctuary would rethink the course of action to put them down.

The operator mentioned that among the sympathetic words and expressions of sympathy, she had also encountered threatening and insulting comments.

“This is extremely upsetting,” she remarked. “We recognize that feelings are intense, but we appeal for compassion and courtesy as we manage this devastating circumstance.”

The landowner declined to comment.

The government department stated that the choice to euthanise the big cats was the responsibility of the landowners, and that it had been informed of the intention.

A senior official stated that euthanasia had to be conducted humanely, and in accordance with wildlife regulations.

“An regulatory officer will be present to verify this is done properly,” the representative stated. “We are confident that the establishment continues to satisfy its animal care and enclosure obligations.”

The sanctuary achieved a degree of notoriety in the early 2000s when it appeared on a TV program about a celebrity big cat handler.

However, it rapidly encountered difficulties. In 2009, a keeper was killed by a big cat while performing maintenance.

The park frequently ran into monetary difficulties and employment issues, and changed ownership on several occasions. In 2014, the regulatory body instructed the establishment to close until the enclosures were upgraded. It reopened in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.