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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 outcome of the other five lions still undecided, following financial difficulties.

The private wildlife sanctuary in the northern city of Whangārei shut down over the past weekend.

In a social media 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 challenging decision made by the property owner.”

“No viable alternatives remained. The employees and I are heartbroken,” said the park’s director.

“Although it might possibly continue as a wildlife attraction under new ownership, such a scenario would require not only the acquisition of the land but substantial monetary input,” the manager explained.

In a recent statement, the sanctuary announced that two of its lions had been euthanised.

“We recently farewelled Imvula and Sibili, both of whom had serious health conditions that were incurable and were deteriorating. These decisions were made with profound consideration and consideration,” the director remarked.

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

“A few individuals have expressed interest in buying the property and providing for the lions. Although the window is short and the situation remain unresolved, we are doing everything we can to investigate this opportunity and maintain optimism.”

Relocating the lions to another facility was not a “feasible or compassionate alternative” due to their elderly status, the quantity of animals involved, and their complex needs.

The sanctuary’s updates were filled with comments from members of the public, begging for a reprieve for the other big cats, while former staff members expressed desire that the facility would reconsider the plan to put them down.

The operator stated that among the kind messages and words of condolence, she had also been subjected to threatening and abusive messages.

“This is profoundly disturbing,” she said. “We acknowledge that passions are strong, but we request consideration and decency as we manage this devastating predicament.”

The property owner declined to comment.

The ministry for primary industries clarified that the choice to humanely kill the lions was the responsibility of the landowners, and that it had been informed of the intention.

A deputy director commented that humane killing had to be carried out ethically, and in accordance with animal welfare law.

“An animal welfare inspector will be on location to verify this is done correctly,” the representative said. “We are confident that the facility continues to satisfy its wildlife protection and enclosure responsibilities.”

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

However, it rapidly ran into problems. In 2009, a handler was fatally attacked by a big cat while performing maintenance.

The facility repeatedly ran into economic issues and staffing problems, and changed ownership multiple times. In 2014, the regulatory body directed the establishment to close until the facilities were improved. It resumed operations in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.