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A beleaguered wildlife sanctuary in New Zealand has announced it was forced to put down two of its elderly lions, with the fate of the remaining five lions still unclear, following economic struggles.

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

In a social media announcement, the facility indicated that its owner had put the property up for sale in August, and the group of seven lions, ranging from 18 and 21 years old, would be put down “after a challenging decision made by the property owner.”

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

“Even though it may possibly continue as a lion park under fresh proprietors, such a future would require not only the purchase of the property but substantial monetary input,” the operator noted.

In a later update, the park verified 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 actions were made with profound consideration and deliberation,” the director said.

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

“A several interested parties have shown interest in buying the property and maintaining care for the lions. Although the timeframe is short and the situation remain uncertain, we are doing everything we can to investigate this option and keep hope alive.”

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

The sanctuary’s updates were filled with responses from the community, pleading for a second chance for the surviving lions, while past workers expressed optimism that the facility would review the course of action to put them down.

The operator noted that alongside the sympathetic words and messages of sorrow, she had also encountered threatening and offensive messages.

“This is deeply distressing,” she remarked. “We understand that emotions are high, but we appeal for compassion and courtesy as we handle this heartbreaking situation.”

The proprietor declined to comment.

The government department indicated that the determination to humanely kill the big cats was the responsibility of the landowners, and that it had been advised of the plan.

A high-ranking officer explained that humane killing had to be carried out ethically, and in accordance with animal protection legislation.

“An animal welfare inspector will be on location to confirm this is done properly,” the spokesperson said. “We are confident that the facility continues to fulfill its animal care and enclosure requirements.”

The park attained some recognition in the early part of the century when it was shown on a television show about a celebrity big cat handler.

However, it quickly ran into problems. In 2009, a keeper was killed by a big cat while performing maintenance.

The facility frequently experienced economic issues and employment issues, and had multiple owners on several occasions. In 2014, the regulatory body directed the facility to shut down until the facilities were modernized. It resumed operations in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.