FIVE lions were on the loose in an Australian zoo after breaking free from their enclosure, sparking an emergency lockdown.
The big cats had busted out of their compound at Taronga Zoo in Sydney at around 7.30am on Tuesday morning.
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An unsuspecting construction worker reportedly spotted them prowling the grounds as guests in the park’s accommodation awoke.
The enclosure is situated just metres away from where tourists sleep in tents as part of the attraction’s ‘Roar and Snore’ experience.
The lionhearted escape triggered a Code One lockdown in the famed zoo, as staff were urged to take cover in “safe havens”.
Police also raced to the scene as a deafening alarm sounded, notifying employees to follow safety protocol.
But lionkeepers were said to have remained in position as the ferocious animals roamed around.
Cops were seen assessing the perimeter of the fence of the lions’ Savannah enclosure, situated near the zoo’s ferry terminal.
How the animals managed to escape remains unclear.
The lions were eventually rounded up before the zoo opened as usual at 9.30am.
Taronga Zoo said in a statement: “An emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure.
“The Zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident. All persons on site were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff.
“All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored.
“The Zoo will be open as normal today. Further details will be provided when possible.”
Police later confirmed the zoo was “managing the situation on its own”.
Taronga Zoo’s James Dalziel told the Daily Mail the lion’s dramatic escapade was “all over pretty quickly”.
He added that “highly trained staff” had taken care of the incident.
Code One alarms are used when a “dangerous animal” has escaped or is causing an alarming situation.
Just metres away from the lions enclosure is the park’s chimpanzee, giraffe and zebra exhibits.
The full Taronga Zoo lion pride includes two adult animals Maya and Ato and their five cubs Khari, Luzuko, Malika, Zuri and Ayanna.
The African lion cubs were welcomed into the Savannah enclosure in August this year.
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Olivia Burke
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