A New Zealand Wildlife Park has been forced to euthanize its lions, following the park’s closure amid financial difficulties.
The property owned by the Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the northern town of Whangārei on New Zealand’s North Island, has been for sale since August.
The sanctuary said they were left with no choice when it came to the elderly big cats, who they said had “severe health conditions that cannot be treated and are deteriorating”.
The fate of the five remaining lions on the property is still unclear, but Park Operator Janette Valclance said they are exploring “every possibility” in a statement shared on Facebook.
In a Facebook Post earlier this week, the props of MS properties first made the “difficult decision” to euthanize all seven major trading weekends.
In that statement, he noted that the animals were all between 18 and 21 years old, and that there was “no real choice left”.
“While [the property] could continue as a lion park under a new owner, such a future would require not only the purchase of land but significant capital investment,” he wrote.
After the first two lions were euthanised, the wax MS shared a second statement, in which he acknowledged the significant backlash from the public, many of whom begged for the remaining five lions to be transferred.
He wrote that the park had “fully investigated options” for the remaining lions, but said relocation was not an “option or animal replacement” because of the animals’ age and their “complex needs”.
MS adds in full compliance to their initial post, there is a “glimmer of hope”.
“Some people have expressed interest in buying the facility and continuing to take care of the lions. Meanwhile, we can always check this possibility and keep the hope,” he said.
The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) told the watchdog that the decision to euthanize the cats was made with the owners, and was informed of the plan.
The wildlife sanctuary has been plagued by financial difficulties and controversy over the past two decades.
The zoo initially gained a profile as the setting of a television program that studied its founder, Craig Busch, known as the “lion man”.
In 2009, the park made international headlines after a rare white tiger mauled a Zoo keeper to death in front of terrified tourists.
Zion Wildlife Gardens pleaded guilty to health and safety charges related to the death of the keeper, and must pay $60,000 (£26,000) in reparations to his family.
Current owner Bolton Equities took ownership of the Sanctuary in 2014, shortly after the park was closed to the public by MPI for failing to meet the animals’ needs.
It remained closed for seven years, before finally reopening in 2021.
However, just two years later in 2023, it was put into inactive liquidation.