Taronga Zoo lions escape: Five lions escaped through a fence, forcing Roar and Snore guests to flee

An ‘integrity issue’ with a containment fence allowed five lions to escape their enclosure by digging their way out, forcing dozens of terrified zoo guests staying overnight to flee their accommodation. 

Sydney‘s Taronga Zoo went into lockdown early Wednesday after male lion Ato and 16-month-old cubs Khari, Luzuko, Malike and Zuri escaped their enclosure, sparking an emergency response.

The lions were found in an area adjacent to the main lion exhibit and were safely returned to their enclosure before the zoo opened to the public for the day. 

A portion of fence and ‘digging marks’ in the lions’ Savannah enclosure are now at the centre of an investigation launched by Taronga Zoo.

The lions have been blocked off from the area where they made their brazen escape as staff examine how they managed to get out.

Taronga Zoo staff and police inspect an ‘integrity’ issue with a fence which allowed five lions to escape their enclosure on Wednesday morning

Roar and Snore guests were locked inside (above) for 90 minutes this morning after being told to flee their tents and leave belongings behind when the five lions escaped after breaching a containment fence 

‘An initial review of this morning’s incident has confirmed that an integrity issue with a containment fence enabled five lions to temporarily exit their main exhibit,’ a statement read on Wednesday night.

‘The lions are now in a back-of-house holding area while a full review continues

‘A full report will now be prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

‘Keepers and vets report all lions are doing well.’

One cub had to be tranquilised by vets while the other escapees were returned to their enclosure without issue.

Magnus and Dominique Perri and their young sons Lucas and Oliver were staying in Taronga’s Roar and Snore tents when they were woken by the sound of lions roaring and grumbling at about 4am on Wednesday.  

The family went back to sleep, believing the lions were safely locked in their enclosure just metres away. 

They woke up around two hours later before an alarm blared out around 6.40am.

‘It just happened so quickly,’ Mr Perri said.

Police were called to Taronga Zoo in Mosman on Wednesday to help workers determine how the lions escaped their enclosure

Sydney couple Magnus and Dominique Perri and their young sons Lucas and Oliver (above) were staying in Taronga’s Roar and Snore when they were told they had 30 seconds to ‘get out’ after a lion escape

‘They said ‘Hurry up! Don’t worry about your things. This is a Code One. Get out of your tent. Leave your belongings behind. You have 30 seconds to get out’.’

‘People were running out.’

The family admitted they didn’t realised what code one meant with Ms Perri running out of their tent barefoot.

‘They told us to run up to the bathroom and shower area and they locked us in. Counted everyone. Made sure everyone was in there. They said this is probably just a drill,’ 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 escape lions triggered a Code One alarm but were back in their enclosure a few hours later (pictured, Taronga lions)

The Perris were escorted out along with about 50 other Roar and Snore overnighters to a safe place for the next 90 minutes.

A young boy told Nine News: ‘At the start I was a bit scared but then I wasn’t.’

Just a day before the lions’ dramatic escape, the zoo uploaded footage of the animals playing with and eating pumpkins for Halloween.

‘While most of us were discussing what scary movie to watch last night, here at Taronga, we were taking a moment reflect on the frightening future that is facing the world’s wildlife,’ the footage was captioned.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Taronga Zoo executive director Simon Duffy confirmed an adult lion and four cubs had escaped at 6.30am.

‘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 in place for such an incident and immediate action was taken … Four of the lions calmly made their way back into their main exhibit and dens and one lion cub was safely tranquillised. 

‘All animals are now safe in their back-of-house exhibit and are being closely monitored.’ 

He added that video footage showed the incident was under control within 10 minutes at 6.50am.

‘This is a significant incident and a full review is now underway to confirm exactly how the lions were able to exhibit their main exhibit,’ Mr Duffy said.

The Code One alarm is reserved for when a ‘dangerous animal’ has escaped or is causing an alarming situation and orders staff to immediately lockdown in a ‘safe haven’.

Four lions escaped their enclosure at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo (pictured, police seen at the fence near the lion viewing area)

Taronga Zoo opened to the public  as usual on Wednesday but the lions weren’t on display.

NSW Police attended the scene but said the zoo was ‘managing the situation on its own’.

Visitors from Gloucestershire, UK, Kirsty, Stuart and Isabelle McLaren arrived at Taronga after it had reopened at 9.30am and said they had the all clear to roam the entire zoo.

‘We’re just here to see the koalas,’ Kirsty said.

The lions escaped 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 chimpanzees, giraffes and zebras exhibits are also just metres away from the lion enclosure.