Investigation into lions’ escape at Sydney's Taronga Zoo finds they squeezed through gap after fence failure

Sydney's Taronga Zoo has revealed the results of its investigation into the escape of five lions from their enclosure last week.

In a statement, Zoo management disclosed that two lion cubs made it past a second fence meant to secure their exhibit - contradicting initial updates which suggested all five animals made it out of their enclosure but not into public areas of the zoo.

In an incident that made international headlines, one of the two cubs that breached the second fence made it back into the exhibit while the other was safely tranquilised.

The "emergency incident" unfolded about 7am last Wednesday, well before guests were able to access the Sydney harbourside attraction.

The Zoo’s statement advised that its investigation had uncovered found that male lion and four cubs played and interacted with the fence for about 20 minutes before managing to breach it, noting “preliminary independent engineering advice has confirmed that swages (clamps that join wire cables together) failed, enabling a lacing cable that connects the fence mesh to a tension cable to unravel.

"The lions were then able to create and squeeze thorough a gap."

Taronga Zoo's Executive Director, Simon Duffy, reassured the public that the entire facility had its own safety perimeter fence preventing the animals from leaving and wandering the streets of Sydney.

The review into the incident continues but has so far recommended the engagement of an "independent tensile-structure engineer" to closely inspect the failure and advise on its repair.

The Zoo advised that one lioness and cub remained in their enclosure while staff used "their relationships with the lions" to calmly call the others back into their exhibit, adding “the four other cubs and adult male lion appeared to remain calm and investigated the other side of the main containment fence, remaining within metres of their exhibit, before actively trying to find their way back under the fence."

Video footage of the incident confirmed that it was less than 10 minutes between the lions exiting their main exhibit and the full emergency response being enacted.