A New Zealand zoo has confirmed a plan to euthanise five lions is on hold following an extraordinary public response. The future of Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary’s famous big cats has sparked intense interest across the nation, with some calling for the ageing animals to be able to quietly live out the remainder of their days.
Laurie Margrain, a director of Bolton Equities, which owns Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary, said the animals are all upwards of 19 years old and approaching the end of their lives. However, after it was revealed that the 32.5-hectare Whangārei property they live on was scheduled to be sold, several interested parties have come forward with a surprising idea.
“The publicity… did solicit a little bit of interest from other parties who expressed an interest in potentially buying the park and maintaining the last five animals,” Margrain told Yahoo News Australia in an exclusive interview.
“We cancelled the euthanasia this morning in order to do the right thing and run those inquiries to ground, and see if there was anything concrete in them.”
Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary was listed for sale in August. Source: Bayleys
At the beginning of the week, there were seven lions at Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary, but two were euthanised on Wednesday morning due to ongoing welfare concerns.
The oldest lions have reached 22 years of age, and veterinary advice suggests that health concerns will mean their inevitable euthanasia within a year. Before Bolton Equities acquired the park, a keeper was killed by a lion, which led to it being shot. Many of the animals were already facing multiple welfare issues due to previous management issues, which were highlighted by a Ministry of Agriculture investigation.
“We have consistently been euthanising animals for years, as has been required… We’ll run the expressions of interest to ground, and then we’ll review our position,” Margrain said.
Animal welfare a ‘driving force’ behind park purchase
When Bolton Equities bought the sanctuary in 2014, it was home to more than 30 big cats. Over that time, around NZ$12 million ($10.4 million) has been spent maintaining the park, fixing fences, paying medical expenses, and employing staff at the cost of NZ$1,000 per animal.
“It’s never really turned a dollar, it doesn’t even remotely wash its face financially,” Margrain said.
According to Bolton Equities, the decision to purchase the park was driven by concern for the animals.
“The family had an interest in ensuring the cats could live their lives out,” Margrain said. “Animal welfare, public and staff safety, have been the driving force for all the years we’ve owned it.”
When the park was purchased, the animals weren’t well taken care of and the owners were going bust. They fixed up the enclosures and paid the staff, knowing at some point there would be a handful left, and keeping them alive would be difficult.
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