Five lions have caused an emergency at an Australian zoo after they escaped from their cage, the BBC reports.
An adult lion and four lion cubs were spotted outside their enclosure at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo around 6.30 am local time on Wednesday.
The zoo was immediately closed, and one lion had to be euthanized, but all the animals were rescued within minutes, a zoo official said.
No one was hurt. It is still unclear how the lions managed to escape from the cage.
Zoo CEO Simon Duffy called it a “significant incident” that would be investigated.
He told local media that the lions entered a small area “adjacent” to their enclosures.
“At no time have the lions left the surrounding area or Taronga Zoo,” Duffy said.
Duffy added that the small area is protected by a six-foot fence, which is normally used to keep people at a safe distance, while the entire zoo is surrounded by a perimeter fence.
CCTV footage shows that the keeper raised the alarm within 10 minutes of the escape, the zoo said.
According to Duffy, staff responded quickly and moved all bystanders to safety.
The lion exhibit will remain closed pending further inspections to ensure it is “100 percent safe,” Duffy added.
Animal escapes in Australian zoos are a rare phenomenon.
In 2009, a lioness escaped from her enclosure at Mogo Zoo, south of Sydney, and had to be shot because of the danger she posed to the public.