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Overnight visitors to the Sydney zoo were evacuated to safety when lions escaped their enclosure.

Early on Wednesday, five lions at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo made a brief escape from their enclosure, causing the zoo to issue a ‘code one’ alarm and evacuate participants in its ‘Roar and Snore’ overnight stay programme to safety.

A male adult lion named Ato and his four pups were captured on camera leaving their enclosure at 6.30 in the morning, prompting the alert. Despite the fact that they were in an area that was divided from the rest of the zoo by a six-foot fence, it was 1930 GMT.

While the other four returned on their own, one cub was tranquillized and returned by zookeepers.

Less than 10 minutes after the lions escaped the main display area, according to the zoo, its emergency response was put into place. By 9 a.m., it was confirmed that the lions were back in their enclosure.

Staff members tried to guide ‘Roar and Snore’ programme participants away from danger as the police were summoned to the zoo.

One of the visitors, Magnus Perri, told the local media as his family left the zoo, ‘They came running into the tent area yelling, ‘this is a Code One, get out of your tent and go, come immediately and leave your belongings’.’

Staff members tried to guide ‘Roar and Snore’ programme participants away from danger as the police were summoned to the zoo.

One of the visitors, Magnus Perri, told the local media as his family left the zoo, ‘They came running into the tent area yelling, ‘this is a Code One, get out of your tent and go, come immediately and leave your belongings’.’

Ato, Maya, and their five cubs—males Khari and Luzuko and females Malika, Zuri, and Ayanna—live in the lion enclosure at Taronga Zoo. While the others escaped, Maya and Ayanna remained inside the fence.

The zoo has started a formal review even though it is still unclear how the creatures got away.

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