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An “integrity problem” with a fence allowed five lions to escape their enclosure by digging their way out, forcing dozens of terrified zoo guests staying overnight to flee their property.
Sydney’s Taronga Zoo closed early Wednesday after male lion Ato and 16-month-old cubs Khari, Luzuko, Malike and Zuri escaped their enclosure, triggering an emergency response.
The lions were found in an area adjacent to the main exhibit and were safely returned to their enclosure before the zoo opened to the public for the day.
Taronga Zoo officials revealed that the lions appeared to have tried to dig their way out, scratching and examining a damaged section of the fence.
The lions have been sealed off from the area they escaped from while staff investigate how they got out.
Taronga Zoo staff and police inspect an ‘integrity problem’ with a fence that allowed five lions to escape from their enclosure Wednesday morning
Roar and Snore guests were locked inside (above) for 90 minutes this morning after being told to flee their tents and leave behind belongings when the five lions escaped after breaking a fence
“A preliminary assessment of this morning’s incident has confirmed that an integrity issue with an enclosure allowed five lions to temporarily leave their main exhibit,” a statement read Wednesday evening.
The lions are now in a secret annex while a full assessment continues.
‘A full report is now being prepared for NSW’s Primary Industries department.
‘Holders and vets report that all lions are doing well.’
One cub had to be sedated by vets, while the other escapees were returned to their enclosure without any problems.
Magnus and Dominique Perri and their young sons Lucas and Oliver were staying in Taronga’s Roar and Snore tents when they were awakened at about 4am on Wednesday to the sound of roaring and growling lions.
The family fell asleep again, believing that the lions were safely locked in their enclosure just meters away.
They woke up about two hours later before an alarm went off at around 6:40 am.
“It just happened so quickly,” Mr. Perri said.
Sydney couple Magnus and Dominique Perri and their young sons Lucas and Oliver (above) were staying at Taronga’s Roar and Snore when they were told they had 30 seconds to ‘come out’ after a lion escape
Police were called to the Taronga Zoo in Mosman on Wednesday to help workers determine how the lions escaped from their enclosure
‘They said, ‘Hurry up! Don’t worry about your stuff. This is a code one. Get out of your tent. Leave your stuff. You have 30 seconds to get out.”
“People ran out.”
The family admitted they didn’t realize what Code 1 meant when Ms. Perri ran barefoot from their tent.
“They told us to run to the bathroom and… shower room and they locked us up? in. I counted everyone. Made sure everyone was inside. They said this was probably just an exercise,” her husband told the Today show on Thursday.
Despite the terrifying ordeal, the family would do the Roar and Snore experience again.
“It was a bit of fun. I’d recommend it,” Mr. Perri said.
The five escaped lions triggered a Code One alarm, but were back in their enclosure a few hours later (photo, Taronga lions)
The Perri’s, along with about 50 other Roar and Snore overnight residents, were escorted to a safe place for the next 90 minutes.
They took a group of fourth-year students on an overnight excursion.
One young boy told Nine News: “At first I was a little scared, but after that I wasn’t anymore.”
Just a day before the lions’ dramatic escape, the zoo uploaded images of the animals playing and eating pumpkins on Halloween.
“While most of us were discussing which scary movie to watch last night, here in Taronga, we paused to consider the terrifying future that awaits nature in the world,” the caption captioned the images.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Simon Duffy, director of Taronga Zoo, confirmed that an adult lion and four cubs had escaped at 6:30 am.
“The lions were observed in a small area adjacent to the main lion exhibit, where a six-foot fence separated them from the rest of the zoo,” he said.
“The zoo has very strict safety protocols for such an incident and immediate action was taken… Four of the lions quietly returned to their main exhibit and dens and one lion cub was safely stunned.
‘All the animals are now safe in their secret annex and are closely monitored.’
He added that video footage showed the incident was under control within 10 minutes at 6:50 am.
“This is a major incident and a full assessment is now underway to confirm exactly how the lions were able to display their most important exhibit,” Mr Duffy said.
The Code One alarm is reserved for when a ‘dangerous animal’ has escaped or caused an alarming situation and instructs staff to exit immediately in a ‘safe haven’.
Four lions escaped from their enclosure at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo (photo, police seen at the fence at the lion viewing point)
Taronga Zoo opened to the public as usual on Wednesday, but the lions were not on display.
NSW police attended but said the zoo was “managing the situation on its own.”
Visitors from Gloucestershire, UK, Kirsty, Stuart and Isabelle McLaren arrived in Taronga after it reopened at 9.30am and said they were free to roam the entire zoo.
“We’re just here to see the koalas,” Kirsty said.
The lions escaped from their enclosure — not far from the zoo’s ferry terminal — before the tourist attraction opened its gates for the day, meaning only workers were present.
The exhibits of chimpanzees, giraffes and zebras are also just meters away from the lion enclosure.