Five lions escaped their enclosures at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo on Wednesday morning, prompting a safety alert, according to a statement issued by zoo officials.
Guests sleeping close in tents as part of the zoo’s “Roar and Snore” overnight stay program were awakened just after dawn by workers who whisked them to safety, according to 9 News Australia.
Perri stated, “They ran down to the tent area shouting, ‘There’s a Code One, get out of your tents, leave your possessions behind, and run with us.’” They opened the entrance, everyone entered, they took a headcount, locked the door, and we were now inside the building.
According to the zoo’s statement, the safety alert was issued after an adult male lion called Ato and four cubs were discovered outside their main area. The lions were still within a six-foot-high fence-protected area.
According to ABC Australia, Simon Duffy, the executive director of Taronga Zoo, stated at a news conference, “They did penetrate the confinement barrier, but we do not know exactly how or why that occurred.” We got video evidence and established that fewer than 10 minutes elapsed between the lions leaving their main exhibit and the full emergency reaction being implemented.
According to the statement, four of the lions finally returned to their enclosures on their own, while the last youngster was tranquilized and returned by zookeepers. No injuries were recorded, and zoo operations continued as usual. Also in progress is a comprehensive investigation into the incident’s cause.
This is not the first time a Taronga Zoo animal has attempted to flee. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a contractor observed a chimpanzee sitting outside of its fence in January 2021. While personnel were dispatched to secure the area, the chimpanzee returned on his own to the enclosure.
The Taronga Zoo did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Insider.