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A struggling wildlife park in New Zealand has stated it was forced to humanely kill two of its senior lions, with the outcome of the other five lions still undecided, following economic struggles.

The private wildlife sanctuary in the northern town of Whangārei closed its doors over the past weekend.

In a social media 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 euthanised “following a difficult decision made by the property owner.”

“No viable alternatives remained. The team and I are deeply saddened,” stated the sanctuary’s operator.

“Even though it may potentially continue as a wildlife attraction under new ownership, such a scenario would require not only the acquisition of the property but significant capital investment,” the operator explained.

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

“We recently farewelled two of our lions, both of whom had serious health conditions that were incurable and were worsening. These choices were made with utmost compassion and deliberation,” the director said.

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

“A few individuals have indicated willingness in acquiring the property and maintaining care for the lions. Although the window is short and the situation remain unresolved, we are doing everything we can to explore this possibility and maintain optimism.”

Relocating the lions to an alternate site was not a “practical or compassionate alternative” due to their advanced age, the group size involved, and their complex needs.

The sanctuary’s updates were filled with messages from concerned citizens, pleading for a second chance for the remaining lions, while former staff members expressed desire that the sanctuary would review the course of action to end their lives.

The director mentioned that alongside the supportive comments and words of condolence, she had also received threatening and abusive comments.

“This is extremely upsetting,” she said. “We acknowledge that passions are strong, but we request consideration and courtesy as we handle this heartbreaking situation.”

The proprietor chose not to respond.

The ministry for primary industries stated that the determination to humanely kill the big cats was the responsibility of the owners, and that it had been advised of the course of action.

A senior official commented that putting down had to be conducted humanely, and in accordance with animal protection legislation.

“An regulatory officer will be on location to ensure this is done correctly,” the spokesperson stated. “We are assured that the operation continues to meet its wildlife protection and enclosure responsibilities.”

The park achieved some recognition in the early part of the century when it featured on a television show about a well-known lion tamer.

However, it quickly encountered difficulties. In 2009, a keeper was fatally attacked by a white tiger while cleaning its enclosure.

The sanctuary often encountered financial trouble and staffing problems, and had multiple owners on several occasions. In 2014, the ministry of primary industries ordered the park to close until the enclosures were improved. It reopened in 2021 but faced insolvency in 2023.