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CCTV Footage Captures Moment Five Lions Escape Enclosure at Sydney Zoo

Footage released by Sydney’s Taronga Zoo shows the moment four lion cubs and an adult male made a brief escape from their enclosure on November 2, sparking a lockdown at the iconic park.

CCTV footage released on Thursday, December 1, shows the lions slipping through a hole in a fence around their enclosure and venturing outside.

In a statement, Taronga Zoo said the five lions “calmly investigated within metres of their main exhibit, before actively trying to find their way back under the fence” as the lioness and zookeepers began calling for them.

Three of the cubs and the male adult successfully reentered the exhibit, but one female cub was tranquilised by Taronga’s emergency response team and later transported back to the dens.

Following the incident on November 2, Taronga Zoo said an “integrity issue with a containment fence” enabled the lions to escape.

“Taronga’s review of the lion incident is ongoing, and an independent, specialist forensic engineer is still conducting detailed investigations on the failure and the complex mesh fencing system. Their review will also advise on necessary repairs,” the zoo said in a statement on Thursday.

The zoo said the lions will continue to remain in an “outdoor, back-of-house habitat” pending findings and will not be back in their main exhibit before Christmas. Credit: Taronga Zoo via Storyful

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