Overview
- Two elderly lions were euthanized for health reasons, and plans to put down the remaining five have been put on hold.
- The Ministry for Primary Industries says the decision rests with the owners and has an inspector on site to ensure humane compliance.
- The surviving lions are roughly 18–22 years old, cannot be released to the wild, and are difficult to rehome in other facilities.
- The sanctuary closed to the public on 2 November and has been on the market since August, with Bolton Equities saying it invested about NZ$12 million and the park was not financially sustainable.
- Public reaction and new expressions of interest in purchasing the property prompted Bolton Equities to cancel scheduled euthanasia to assess potential offers.