It’s a zoo’s worst nightmare — five lions managed to escaped from their exhibit on Wednesday at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
The lions, one adult male and four cubs, sparked a “Code One” emergency when they were spotted outside their main enclosure Monday morning, CNN reported. Overnight campers stayed roughly 100 meters away. Guests were immediately escorted to safety and the zoo was put on lockdown.
“All zoo staff responded and acted swiftly, and procedures and processes were followed as they should have been. As a result, the situation was under control within minutes,” Taronga Zoo Executive Director Simon Duffy said, per NBC News.
Zookeepers tranquilized one cub and returned him to his exhibit, while the other four calmly returned on their own terms, the zoo said in a statement.
Based on reviewed recordings, the zoo responded to the emergency in under 10 minutes from when the lions made their escape, according to NBC. The animals were safely back in their enclosure in just a couple of hours.
No animals, guests or staff were injured during the incident. The tranquilized lion cub is “now awake and well,” the zoo reported in a statement.
There is still no complete explanation for why or how the animals escaped from their enclosure. Based on an initial investigation, the zoo said there was an “integrity issue with a containment fence,” which made the escape possible.
A full review of the incident is still underway. The lions are being kept in a back-of-house area until a complete explanation is uncovered.