Taronga Zoo lion escape forces campers to hide in toilet block safe zone

When Sydney’s Taronga Zoo advertised the opportunity to “get up close” with some of its “friendliest residents”, running to a safe zone amid a “code one” is not what Magnus Perri had in mind. 

He and his family of four were spending the night in a tent as part of the zoo’s Roar and Snore package when a duress alarm sounded, and zookeepers ran them to a bathroom block. 

The zoo continues to investigate how five lions, including four cubs, escaped from their enclosure this morning, but has so far blamed a fence issue. 

“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,” the zoo said in a statement. 

“Keepers and vets report all lions are doing well.” 

The animals were spotted in a small area next to the main exhibit, separated by a six-foot fence from the rest of the zoo.

Police were called to the “emergency situation” at about 7am. 

Mr Perri recalled being startled by staff in what the zoo later described as a “significant incident”.

“They came running down the tent area saying that there’s a code one, get out of your tent, leave your belongings behind,” he said.

“They opened the door, everyone got in, they counted us, and they locked the door, and we were staying inside the building.”

Once inside the “safe zone,” Mr Perri remained clueless to the incident unfolding outside. 

It was by accident he first heard what had caused the alarm. 

“The guides had their radios on, and we heard them, and they said, ‘they’re still outside’, so we realised something is outside, and they said it’s the lions, so we’re like, ‘oh scary’,” he said.

“We were a bit surprised, [we thought] is this part of the action package?” 

Taronga Zoo executive director Simon Duffy said the entire facility had its own safety perimeter fence, which stopped animals mixing with the community outside, on Sydney’s lower north shore.

He said the lions breached one of two containment fences inside the enclosure. 

While Mr Perri and his family continued to shelter, four of the lions “calmly” made their way back to their main exhibits on their own and “one lion cub was safely tranquillised”, Mr Duffy said. 

“The zoo has very strict safety protocols in place for such an incident and immediate action was taken,” he added.

“All persons on site were moved to safe zones.”

Mr Perri said he, and about 30 other guests were kept in the bathroom block for about 90 minutes. 

“I felt safe all the time … but the bush turkeys must have been panicked,” he laughed. 

Once the animals were secured, Taronga staff were seen walking the perimeter of the enclosure, which is known as Lion Pride Lands.

In addition to a review of the incident, Mr Duffy said the lion exhibit would be closed while staff “make sure it is 100 per cent safe.”