Five lions escape zoo during "Roar and Snore" sleepover for guests

Sydney — Five African lions broke out of their enclosure at Sydney's harborside Taronga Zoo on Wednesday, triggering an emergency lockdown. The Reuters news agency said the escape happened while the zoo was hosting a "Roar and Snore" overnight stay program for visitors.

Alarms blared throughout the zoo and guests were rushed to safety before the lions were tracked down and returned safely to their exhibit. The zoo's executive director Simon Duffy told reporters one lion cub had to be tranquilized.

"This is a significant incident and a full review is now under way to confirm exactly how the lions were able to exit their main exhibit," he said. "We don't have the exact details of how and why that occurred."