A troubled New Zealand wildlife park says it has been forced to euthanise two of its elderly lions, with the fate of its remaining five lions unclear, after it ran into financial difficulties.

The privately owned Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary in the northern city of Whangārei closed its doors on the weekend.

In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, the sanctuary said its owner Bolton Equities had put the 32.5ha property up for sale in August and its seven lions, aged between 18 and 21 years old, would be euthanised “following a difficult decision made by the property owner”.

“There were no real options left. The staff and I are devastated,” said Janette Vallance, the sanctuary’s operator.

“While it could potentially continue as a lion park under new ownership, such a future would require not only the purchase of the land but significant capital investment,” Vallance said.

In an update on Thursday, the sanctuary confirmed two of its lions had been euthanised.

“Yesterday we said goodbye to Imvula and Sibili, both of whom had serious health conditions that were not treatable and were deteriorating. These decisions were made with deep care and consideration,” Vallance said.

But there was a “glimmer of hope” for remaining five lions, which the sanctuary had earlier said would be put down.

“A few individuals have expressed interest in purchasing the facility and continuing to care for the lions. While the timeframe is short and the situation remains uncertain, we are doing everything we can to explore this possibility and keep hope alive.”

Relocating the lions to another facility was not a “viable or humane option” she said, due to their age, the number of cats involved and their complex needs.

The sanctuary’s updates were flooded with messages from members of the public, pleading for a reprieve for the remaining lions, while former staff members told broadcaster RNZ they hoped the sanctuary would reconsider putting them down.

Vallance said amid the kind messages and words of condolence, she had also received threatening and abusive comments.

“This is deeply distressing,” she said. “We understand that emotions are high, but we ask for kindness and respect as we navigate this heartbreaking situation.”

Bolton Equities has been approached for comment.

The ministry for primary industries (MPI) said the decision to euthanise the cats lay with the owners, and that it had been informed of the plan.

The deputy director general of Biosecurity New Zealand, Stuart Anderson, told the Guardian that euthanasia had to be carried out humanely, and in line with animal welfare law.

“MPI will have an animal welfare inspector onsite to verify this is done appropriately,” Anderson said. “We are satisfied that the operation continues to meet its animal welfare and containment obligations.”

The sanctuary drew minor fame in the early 2000s when it featured on a television show about celebrity big cat handler Craig “the Lion Man” Busch.

But it soon ran into problems. In 2009, a handler was mauled to death by a white tiger while cleaning its enclosure.

The park frequently ran into financial trouble and employment issues, and changed ownership multiple times. In 2014 the ministry of primary industries ordered the park to close until the enclosures were upgraded. It reopened in 2021 but went into liquidation in 2023.

With Agence France-Presse