Lions at Whangārei's revived Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Whangārei's big cats have reached the end of the line with the seven lions remaining at Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary due to be put down this week.
Operator Janette Vallance said the park's owners, Bolton Equities, had made the difficult decision to euthanise the cats, which were aged between 18 and 21.
"This has been an incredibly hard time for all of us," she said.
"There were no real options left. The staff and I are devastated."
Bolton Equities informed the Ministry for Primary Industries of its intentions on Monday.
The 33ha property, in Te Kamo, had been on the market since August.
Lions at the reopened and renamed Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary in 2022. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Vallance said the property could potentially continue as a lion park but significant investment would be needed.
The lions are elderly in big cat terms and, as previously reported, cannot be released into the wild in their natural habitat because they have never had to fend for themselves.
Rehoming the cats in a zoo, sanctuary or a suitable welfare centre is also understood to be difficult.
Meanwhile, the Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed it had been informed of the park's intention to euthanise the remaining seven elderly big cats.
Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said that decision rested with the cats' owners.
"Euthanasia needs to be carried out humanely in line with the Animal Welfare Act," he said.
"MPI will have an animal welfare inspector on site to verify this is done appropriately."
Anderson said the ministry was satisfied the park was continuing to meet its animal welfare and containment obligations.
At its peak in the early 2000s the park was home to 33 big cats, including lions, white tigers, leopards and cheetahs.
At that time it was called Zion Wildlife Gardens and run by Craig Busch, better known as "The Lion Man", and his mother Patricia Busch.
Busch became a national celebrity in 2004 thanks to the TV series Lion Man, and the park put Whangārei on the domestic tourism map.
Janette Vallance with one of the sanctuary's lions. Photo: RNZ / Sam Olley
However, the park ran into financial difficulties in 2006, and was bailed out by Patricia Busch, who became the sole director.
In 2009, after senior keeper Dalu Mncube was killed by a tiger, the then Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) ordered the temporary closure of the park for safety and management improvements.
Another closure was ordered in 2014 for enclosure upgrades, this time by MAF's successor, the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Bolton Equities, which is owned by businessman Murray Bolton, bought Zion Wildlife Gardens in 2014 and reopened it as Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary in 2021.
The park went into liquidation in 2023 but reopened for public visits.
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