Five lions escape enclosure at Sydney's Taronga zoo

Five lions, including four cubs and one adult, managed to escape from their enclosure at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney for a brief period, forcing the authorities to rush guests to safety.

The incident occurred early on Wednesday, and the zoo was soon sent into lockdown. The authorities issued a "code one" alert, their highest possible caution.

According to a BBC report, the lions returned to their enclosure on their own after a few hours. There were no reports of any injuries to the visitors or the animals at the zoo.

"An initial review of this morning's incident has confirmed that an integrity issue with a containment fence enabled five lions to temporarily exit their main exhibit," Taronga said in a statement. The zoo authorities have launched an investigation into how the five lions managed to escape their enclosures.

"The zoo has very strict safety protocols in place for such an incident, and immediate action was taken," said Simon Duffy, the zoo's executive director.

Magnus Perri and his family, who were at the zoo as part of its "Roar and Snore" package, recalled being left shocked at what was happening. "They (zoo staff) came running down the tent area saying that there's a code one, get out of your tent, leave your belongings behind," he said.

"They opened the door, everyone got in, they counted us, and they locked the door, and we were staying inside the building."

"The guides had their radios on, and we heard them, and they said, 'they're still outside', so we realised something is outside, and they said it's the lions, so we're like, 'oh scary'," he added.

According to local media reports, the lions had managed to breach one of two containment fences inside the enclosure. Meanwhile, the zoo's director has said that the lion exhibit will be closed until staff can "make sure it is 100 percent safe."