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A beleaguered wildlife park in New Zealand has revealed it was obliged to humanely kill two of its senior lions, with the fate of the remaining five lions still undecided, following economic struggles.

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

In a social media update, the facility clarified that its owner had listed the land up for sale in August, and the group of seven lions, ranging from 18 and 21 years old, would be put down “following a tough decision made by the landowner.”

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

“Although it might potentially continue as a lion park under new ownership, such a scenario would require not only the purchase of the land but substantial monetary input,” the manager added.

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

“We recently farewelled two of our lions, both of whom had grave illnesses that were incurable and were worsening. These choices were made with profound consideration and consideration,” the manager said.

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

“A handful of parties have expressed interest in purchasing the property and maintaining care for the lions. Even though the timeframe is short and the conditions remain unresolved, we are doing all we can to pursue this possibility and hold onto hope.”

Relocating the lions to an alternate site was not a “feasible or ethical choice” due to their advanced age, the number of cats involved, and their complex needs.

The facility’s posts were filled with messages from concerned citizens, begging for a second chance for the other big cats, while past workers expressed hope that the park would rethink the course of action to end their lives.

The manager mentioned that alongside the sympathetic words and words of condolence, she had also been subjected to threatening and offensive remarks.

“This is deeply distressing,” she commented. “We acknowledge that feelings are intense, but we ask for consideration and decency as we handle this tragic predicament.”

The proprietor declined to comment.

The government department clarified that the decision to humanely kill the cats was the responsibility of the landowners, and that it had been informed of the intention.

A high-ranking officer stated that putting down had to be performed compassionately, and in accordance with animal welfare law.

“An compliance official will be present to ensure this is done appropriately,” the representative said. “We are satisfied that the establishment continues to meet its animal welfare and containment responsibilities.”

The facility attained some recognition in the early part of the century when it was shown on a TV program about a famous animal trainer.

However, it soon ran into problems. In 2009, a handler was mauled to death by a big cat while performing maintenance.

The park often encountered economic issues and staffing problems, and had multiple owners multiple times. In 2014, the government agency instructed the establishment to shut down until the enclosures were modernized. It resumed operations in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.