Sydney zoo investigates how five lions made early morning escape

An investigation has begun into how a pride of lions escaped their enclosure* and were on the loose at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, throwing the conservation* park into lockdown.

Zookeepers had a wild morning recapturing five lions roaming within the zoo’s premises after they escaped early Wednesday.

Reports quickly circulated that the lions had broken out.

Police confirmed they were called to the zoo at 7:10am as a precaution* and were seen inside the empty lion enclosure with zoo staff, inspecting a boundary fence facing the water’s edge.

Twenty minutes later, a “code one” was issued, directing staff and guests to safe areas.

Sydneysider Magnus Perri, his wife Dominique and sons Oliver, 6, and Lucas, 8, were woken by the alarm and raised voices after staying Tuesday night for the park’s Roar and Snore experience.

“It happened really quickly,” Mr Perri said. “We were just about to get breakfast and they came out screaming, yelling, ‘Code one, you have to get out of your tents … run come with us’,” he said.

“We ran to a little shower area and they counted us and locked us in there. Everyone thought it was a drill at first but it became obvious it was real … (zoo staff) said they do this training every now and then.”

Specialised lion handlers were tasked with rounding up the animals safely and returning them to their enclosure.

The zoo was closed to the public at the time but by 9am, Taronga Zoo had confirmed in a statement that all five lions had been safely returned.

“An emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure,” the statement read.

“The zoo has strict safety protocols* in place for such an incident. All persons onsite were moved to safe zones and there (were) no injuries to guests or staff. All animals are now in their exhibit*, where they are being closely monitored.”

Excitement had already reached fever pitch aboard buses carrying 62 young students from Old Bar Public School on the NSW Mid-Coast, who arrived Wednesday morning to visit the zoo.

Teacher Rebecca Casson, who was supervising the group, said they were alerted to the news by a concerned parent who called them on the way there.

But by the time they arrived, the zoo was safe and they were “right to go”.

“We had one person call us, that’s how we knew about it,” Ms Casson told reporters. “It caused quite a stir on the bus.

“(The kids) are excited. It’s not your normal thing that goes on during a school camp. It’s been full of events.”

There are a total of two adult lions and five lion cubs at Taronga Zoo. In August last year, the zoo welcomed the five cubs for the first time in 18 years.

The lion enclosure is located in the African Savannah* portion of the zoo, which also houses giraffes, zebras, meerkats and fennec foxes.

Taronga Zoo executive director Simon Duffy called the escape a “significant incident” and confirmed during a press conference that the animals at all times remained inside an area with a six-foot-high fence – a barrier that normally keeps the public at bay.

“At no time did the lions exit that area or exit Taronga Zoo,” Mr Duffy said.

He added that CCTV footage confirmed the lions were inside their exhibit overnight. How and why the lions escaped their main exhibit was “very much a focus of our incident response and also the review that will be conducted now,” he said.

All five lions have been placed in their “night den” after their adventure, a non-public facing part of their enclosure, while the zoo began its investigation into how they escaped.

It’s not the first time animals have made a bid for freedom. In February 2020, three baboons were spotted running around the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney’s inner-west. The animals escaped while being moved to a research facility at the hospital and were on the loose for just over an hour before they were recaptured.

GLOSSARY

• enclosure: area surrounded by a fence or other structure separating one area from another
• conservation park: place that works to protect wild animal and plant species
• precaution: action taken done to prevent something unpleasant or dangerous happening
• protocols: formal system of rules for correct behaviour on specific occasions
• exhibit: an area, animal or object of interest open to public view
• baffled: unable to explain or understand something
• savannah: large, flat area of land covered with grass, usually with few trees

EXTRA READING

Lion cubs make their zoo debut

Ever wanted to peek inside a lion’s mouth?

Lion with mullet causes uproar at Chinese zoo

QUICK QUIZ

1. How many lions escaped their enclosure at the zoo?
2. Which Sydney zoo was the scene of the security breach?
3. How many students from Old Bar Public School had arrived for a zoo excursion?
4. What time did the zoo release a statement confirming the safe recapture of the lions?
5. How many lions in total currently reside at the zoo and what happened in August last year?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Tell the lions’ story
“We were bored staying in our enclosure all the time. So we decided to …” Write the rest of this story from the lions’ point of view.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
Do you think animals like lions should be held in zoos? Use your own ideas and research skills to write paragraphs that explain your answer to this question. Remember to think about the pros and cons of keeping animals in zoos to help you to plan your paragraphs.

Time: allow 40 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Science

VCOP ACTIVITY
What happens next?
Imagine this story is part of an animated series made up of three cartoons. The three cartoons tell the complete story and this article is only Part 1. Think about what the rest of the story could be and draw the next two cartoons that tell the story.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Visual Arts; Visual Communication Design; Critical and Creative Thinking