A New Zealand wildlife park says it will be forced to euthanize seven elderly lions after financial difficulties.
Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary in the northern city of Whangarei said it was closing and had no choice but to euthanize the big cat.
“There were no real options left. The staff and I are devastated,” sanctuary operator Janette Vallance said in a statement Tuesday.
Lions live between 18-21 years, which is longer than they would live in the wild.
There was no realistic chance of it being returned to other zoos in New Zealand.
“The memories and legacy of these incredible animals will live on in the hearts of many,” the park said.
Parks his notes website that caring for lions is expensive.
“Our magnificent big cats come at a tremendous cost to maintain in an ideal environment such as a wildlife sanctuary. Feed, supplements, experienced staff, compound and grounds maintenance, vets and more put pressure on our purse strings,” the sanctuary writes.
The park also called in unwanted cows or horses to feed its big cats, who eat roughly three cows a week. according to to the zoo
“We’re running low today, so your donations are greatly appreciated,” the park says.
The sanctuary gained some notoriety in the early 2000s when it appeared on a TV show about the famous big cat handler Craig “The Lion Man” Busch.
Busch was later charged with a series of animal rights violations, such as keeping animals in substandard cages.
In 2009 a keeper was killed by a white tiger inside the park. After this incident, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ordered the temporary closure of the sanctuary. RNZ reported.
You are a wildlife sanctuary 
Features of the sanctuary 12 lions and a Bengal tiger on his website. Parks says the foreign-born big cats arrived in New Zealand between six months and three years of age.
In the early 2000s, Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary was home to 33 big cats, including lions, white tigers, leopards and cheetahs, according to RNZ.