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A beleaguered wildlife park in New Zealand has revealed it was forced to euthanise two of its older lions, with the destiny of the other five lions still undecided, following monetary problems.

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

In a online announcement, the facility indicated that its proprietor had put the property up for sale in August, and the seven lions, aged between 18 and 21 years old, would be put down “following a tough decision made by the landowner.”

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

“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 significant capital investment,” the manager explained.

In a later announcement, the sanctuary confirmed that two of its lions had been put down.

“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 utmost compassion and thoughtfulness,” the director stated.

However, there was a “flicker of optimism” for the other five lions, which the sanctuary had earlier indicated would be euthanised.

“A handful of parties have indicated willingness in purchasing the facility and continuing to care for the lions. While the deadline is short and the conditions remain unresolved, we are doing our utmost to investigate this opportunity and hold onto hope.”

Relocating the lions to a different location was not a “feasible or compassionate alternative” due to their age, the number of cats involved, and their complex needs.

The sanctuary’s updates were flooded with comments from the community, requesting a second chance for the other big cats, while former staff members expressed optimism that the sanctuary would review the plan to put them down.

The director mentioned that amid the sympathetic words and words of condolence, she had also received menacing and offensive messages.

“This is extremely upsetting,” she remarked. “We acknowledge that emotions are high, but we ask for kindness and decency as we manage this tragic circumstance.”

The property owner refused to comment.

The regulatory body stated that the choice to humanely kill the big cats was the responsibility of the proprietors, and that it had been informed of the intention.

A high-ranking officer stated that humane killing had to be carried out ethically, and in accordance with animal welfare law.

“An animal welfare inspector will be present to verify this is done properly,” the representative said. “We are satisfied that the establishment continues to meet its animal welfare and security responsibilities.”

The sanctuary gained a degree of notoriety in the early 2000s when it was shown on a broadcast series about a famous animal trainer.

However, it soon ran into problems. In 2009, a handler was mauled to death by a big cat while performing maintenance.

The park often ran into financial trouble and workforce challenges, and switched proprietors repeatedly. In 2014, the government agency directed the facility to shut down until the enclosures were modernized. It resumed operations in 2021 but faced insolvency in 2023.