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A financially troubled wildlife sanctuary in New Zealand has announced it was compelled to put down two of its older lions, with the fate of the other five lions still unclear, following financial difficulties.

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

In a social media announcement, the establishment explained that its owner had listed the land up for sale in August, and the group of seven lions, aged between 18 and 21 years old, would be put down “after a tough decision made by the landowner.”

“No viable alternatives remained. The staff and I are devastated,” commented the facility’s manager.

“While it could potentially continue as a big cat facility under different management, such a scenario would require not only the purchase of the land but significant capital investment,” the manager noted.

In a recent update, the facility confirmed that two of its lions had been humanely killed.

“We recently farewelled two of our lions, both of whom had grave illnesses that were not treatable and were worsening. These actions were made with deep care and thoughtfulness,” the manager stated.

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

“A several interested parties have expressed interest in acquiring the establishment and providing for the lions. Although the timeframe is limited and the conditions remain unclear, we are doing all we can to investigate this option and maintain optimism.”

Relocating the lions to an alternate site was not a “practical or humane option” due to their age, the number of cats involved, and their specialized requirements.

The facility’s posts were overwhelmed by responses from concerned citizens, requesting a stay of execution for the remaining lions, while past workers expressed hope that the sanctuary would reconsider the plan to put them down.

The manager stated that amid the sympathetic words and expressions of sympathy, she had also encountered hostile and offensive remarks.

“This is extremely upsetting,” she commented. “We recognize that emotions are high, but we request kindness and courtesy as we handle this devastating predicament.”

The landowner declined to comment.

The ministry for primary industries indicated that the decision to humanely kill the cats lay with the landowners, and that it had been advised of the intention.

A deputy director commented that humane killing had to be performed compassionately, and in line with animal protection legislation.

“An animal welfare inspector will be on location to verify this is done appropriately,” the representative noted. “We are confident that the establishment continues to meet its wildlife protection and security requirements.”

The facility attained a degree of notoriety in the early part of the century when it featured on a broadcast series about a well-known lion tamer.

However, it quickly ran into problems. In 2009, a handler was killed by a white tiger while performing maintenance.

The sanctuary repeatedly ran into economic issues and employment issues, and changed ownership on several occasions. In 2014, the ministry of primary industries ordered the facility to cease operations until the facilities were improved. It restarted in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.