'Is this part of the action package?' Visitors rushed to safety after lions escape zoo enclosure

Lion cubs play with a large ball in celebration of their first birthday at Taronga Zoo in Sydney in August.
Lion cubs play with a large ball in celebration of their first birthday at Taronga Zoo in Sydney in August. Credit: AP

A pride of lions escaped their enclosure on Wednesday morning at a Sydney zoo, as people slept in tents just metres away.

Families staying at Taronga Zoo overnight were told to run to a safe building after an adult lion and four lion cubs left their enclosure triggering a 'code one' warning.

Four of the lions made their way back to their enclosure, but one cub had to be tranquillised.

Zoo keepers inspecting the lions' enclosure fence at the Sydney zoo. Credit: AP

Overnight Taronga Zoo guest Magnus Perri was staying in a tent with his wife and two children about 100 metres from the lions' enclosure as part of the zoo's overnight stay offering.

He said they were told to "run" to safety".

Mr Perri told reporters: "It just happened so quickly, we were a bit surprised. 'Is this part of the action package?'"

"They came running down the tent area saying that, 'There's a code one. Get out of your tent, leave your belongings behind. Run, come with us,' and we had to run, it was only about 50-70 metres. They opened the door, every one got in. They counted us and they locked the door and we were staying inside the building," he said.

Magnus Perri and his family had to run to safety after the lions escaped. Credit: AP
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Mr Perri continued: "I think everyone thought it was like a drill. They said 'We drill, we do this training every now and then. This is probably only a drill but we don't know.' And then we heard the radios because the guides had the radios on.

"And we heard them and they said 'Oh, they're still outside,' so we realised 'Ok, something's outside, what is it?' And they said 'Oh, it's the lions.' Oooh, scary."

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Taronga Zoo Executive Director Simon Duffy told local media: "The lions were observed in a small area adjacent to the main lion exhibit where a six-foot fence separated them from the rest of the zoo."

He added everyone on the site was moved to safe zones as part of safety protocols

"All animals are now safe in their back-of-house exhibit and are being closely monitored," he said.