A young family spending the night at Taronga Zoo was given 30 seconds to evacuate their glamping tents when five lions fled their enclosure.
Magnus and Dominique Perri, along with their boys Lucas and Oliver, were staying in Taronga’s Roar and Snore tents on Wednesday at 4 a.m. when they were awakened by roaring.
Mr. Perri said that the sounds of the animals were an integral part of the experience, and that his family immediately returned to sleep, believing that the lions were safely confined in their enclosure just metres away.
Less than three hours later, at 6.40 a.m., a loud alarm sounded across the zoo, and Taronga Zoo employees ran through the campsite advising everyone to evacuate quickly because lions had escaped.
Mr. Perri stated, “It happened so suddenly.”
They stated “Hasten up! Do not worry about your possessions. This is a Code 1 situation. Please exit your tent. Leave behind your belongings. You have thirty seconds to leave “.’
People were in a hurry to leave.
Mr. Perri stated that the family and approximately 50 other Roar and Snore overnighters were relocated to a safe location within the following 90 minutes.
He also reported hearing zookeepers exclaim “they’re still outdoors” until one lion was tranquilized and recaptured.
A Taronga Zoo spokesperson reported to the media on Wednesday morning that an adult lion and four pups had fled around 6:30 a.m.
The zookeeper explained that the lions were sighted in a small area close to the main lion exhibit, where a six-foot fence separated them from the rest of the zoo.
‘The zoo has extremely stringent safety standards in place for such a situation, and prompt action was taken…’ Four lions returned calmly to their main enclosures and dens, while one lion cub was safely tranquilized.
All animals are currently secure in their back-of-house display and are being checked closely.
The Taronga zookeeper stated that the issue was under control within 10 minutes, as evidenced by video footage.
“This is a big occurrence, and a thorough investigation is currently ongoing to determine how the lions were able to do their primary act,” he said.
The Law One alarm is reserved for when a ‘dangerous animal’ has escaped or is causing an alarming scenario, requiring workers to lockdown in a’safe haven’ immediately.
After capturing the lions, Taronga Zoo issued a statement saying it would open as usual today.
Officers from the New South Wales Police attended the location but reported the zoo was “handling the problem on its own.”
Kirsty, Stuart, and Isabella McLaren of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, were unconcerned because they were permitted to tour the entire zoo once it opened at 9:30 a.m.
Kirsty stated, “We’re only here to view the koalas.”
The lions fled from their enclosure, which was close to the zoo’s boat terminal, before the tourist attraction opened its gates for the day, so only employees were present.
Additionally, the chimpanzee, giraffe, and zebra exhibits are only a few metres from the lion cage.