Sydney's Taronga Zoo has blamed a containment fence "integrity issue" for the escape of five lions from their enclosure this morning, while a full review continues.
A report is also being prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries after the "significant incident" resulted in staff and visitors being sent to "safe zones".
"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," the zoo said in a statement.