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A beleaguered wildlife park in New Zealand has announced it was forced to humanely kill two of its elderly lions, with the destiny of the remaining five lions still undecided, following monetary problems.

The privately owned wildlife sanctuary in the northern town of Whangārei shut down over the weekend.

In a social media update, the facility indicated that its proprietor had put the property up for sale in August, and the group of seven lions, aged between 18 and 21 years old, would be euthanised “following a tough decision made by the property owner.”

“No viable alternatives remained. The team and I are deeply saddened,” said the park’s director.

“Although it might possibly continue as a lion park under fresh proprietors, such a outcome would require not only the purchase of the land but significant capital investment,” the operator noted.

In a recent announcement, the park verified that two of its lions had been put down.

“We had to part with two of our lions, both of whom had significant medical issues that were untreatable and were worsening. These choices were made with deep care and consideration,” the operator remarked.

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

“A several interested parties have expressed interest in buying the property and continuing to care for the lions. Although the window is short and the conditions remain unclear, we are doing everything we can to explore this possibility and keep hope alive.”

Relocating the lions to an alternate site was not a “feasible or compassionate choice” due to their elderly status, the quantity of animals involved, and their demanding care.

The facility’s posts were flooded with responses from members of the public, begging for a stay of execution for the remaining lions, while past workers expressed desire that the facility would review the course of action to put them down.

The manager mentioned that amid the sympathetic words and expressions of sympathy, she had also received hostile and abusive messages.

“This is profoundly disturbing,” she commented. “We recognize that emotions are high, but we appeal for compassion and respect as we handle this heartbreaking situation.”

The landowner refused to comment.

The government department indicated that the decision to humanely kill the lions rested with the proprietors, and that it had been advised of the plan.

A deputy director commented that euthanasia had to be performed humanely, and in line with animal welfare law.

“An compliance official will be on location to ensure this is done correctly,” the representative stated. “We are satisfied that the establishment continues to meet its animal care and enclosure responsibilities.”

The park attained a degree of notoriety in the early part of the century when it was shown on a television show about a well-known lion tamer.

However, it soon faced challenges. In 2009, a keeper was killed by a big cat while performing maintenance.

The park frequently encountered economic issues and staffing problems, and changed ownership on several occasions. In 2014, the regulatory body ordered the facility to shut down until the facilities were upgraded. It reopened in 2021 but faced insolvency in 2023.