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A beleaguered wildlife park in New Zealand has revealed it was forced to humanely kill two of its elderly lions, with the fate of the remaining five lions still uncertain, following financial difficulties.

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

In a online announcement, the establishment clarified 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 put down “after a challenging decision made by the property owner.”

“All possibilities were exhausted. The employees and I are devastated,” stated the facility’s manager.

“Although it might potentially continue as a big cat facility under new ownership, such a scenario would require not only the purchase of the land but considerable capital investment,” the manager explained.

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

“We recently farewelled two of our lions, both of whom had significant medical issues that were untreatable and were declining. These decisions were made with deep care and thoughtfulness,” the manager stated.

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

“A few individuals have indicated willingness in purchasing the property and providing for the lions. Although the deadline is limited and the circumstances remain unclear, we are doing our utmost to investigate this possibility and keep hope alive.”

Relocating the lions to a different location was not a “viable or ethical choice” due to their age, the quantity of animals involved, and their complex needs.

The sanctuary’s updates were flooded with responses from the community, pleading for a stay of execution for the surviving lions, while past workers expressed desire that the park would rethink the plan to euthanise them.

The manager stated that among the kind messages and words of condolence, she had also been subjected to menacing and insulting messages.

“This is deeply distressing,” she said. “We recognize that emotions are high, but we appeal for compassion and respect as we handle this heartbreaking predicament.”

The proprietor refused to comment.

The ministry for primary industries clarified that the determination to euthanise the big cats rested with the landowners, and that it had been informed of the plan.

A senior official commented that putting down had to be conducted compassionately, and in accordance with wildlife regulations.

“An regulatory officer will be present to confirm this is done properly,” the official stated. “We are confident that the operation continues to satisfy its wildlife protection and enclosure obligations.”

The park achieved a degree of notoriety in the early 2000s when it appeared on a television show about a famous animal trainer.

However, it rapidly faced challenges. In 2009, a handler was mauled to death by a white tiger while performing maintenance.

The sanctuary repeatedly ran into monetary difficulties and employment issues, and switched proprietors repeatedly. In 2014, the ministry of primary industries ordered the park to close until the enclosures were upgraded. It reopened in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.