Greatest animal escapes in Sydney before Taronga Zoo lion breakout
A pride of lions fleeing their pen at Taronga Zoo has gone down in history with some of Sydney’s greatest animal escapes. Here are some of the best.
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When news broke that a pride of lions had escaped their pen at Taronga Zoo on Wednesday morning, it instantly brought to mind scenes and memories of — and inevitable comparisons to — Sydney’s greatest wild animal escapes.
The last time a group of big cats dared to roam outside of an enclosure was in the 1990s when several lionesses fled from a conservation park in the city’s outskirts at Wallacia.
Here are some of Sydney’s best zoo escapes.
African Lion Safari and Animal World, 1995
Although the African Lion Safari park had closed in 1991, following the closure of Animal World in 1985, the owners — identified as the Bullen family — continued to operate a private menagerie at a dwelling in Wallacia located in Sydney’s western outskirts.
Ten years after the zoo’s closure, several lionesses fled the property and were said to have run rampant in nearby suburbs of Warragamba and Silverdale, resulting in the death of a dog.
A bear and multiple water buffalo also ran free.
It is believed some of the buffalo were never found. They were assumed to be living in the wild.
Alligator snapping turtle found in drain, 2000
It was the discovery of a massive snapping turtle living in a Sydney drain that dominated headlines on November 29, 2000.
Affectionately named Leonardo, after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the endangered American alligator snapping turtle had to be hoisted and dragged out of a gutter by six council workers using a wheelbarrrow and a hoist, and no doubt dodging snapping jaws.
Leonardo had apparently been illegally smuggled into Australia, before being found in the sewer, rescued and taken to the Australian Reptile Park.
Buffalo in Sydney CBD, 2014
Eight years ago in March, two water buffalo took off down an inner city street during the middle of a filming session for a Korean TV commercial.
The water buffalos goen wild managed to free themselves from their handlers’ grip at Sydney Park in St Peters, and ran more than two-and-a-half kilometres before finding themselves on busy at King St in Newtown.
Local firefighters helped capture the animals and get them back on set.
Baboons in Sydney CBD, 2020
Two years ago on February 25, three ‘psychotic’ baboons ran amok in Sydney’s CBD after escaping from a medical research facility near Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
The primate trio broke free from a truck after busting through a poorly-maintained cafe after taking advantage of a door which had been accidentally left open, NewsCorp Australia revealed.
The animals led police on a wild chase and, roaming around for about an hour before being captured with the help of Taronga Zoo staff.
Red panda at Symbio Wildlife Park, 2022
Earlier this year in March, a red panda named Kesari snuck out of her enclosure at Symbio Wildlife Park, which is south of Sydney.
A desperate search to find the endangered female ended in tragedy, when she was struck by a car on a busy motorway and vets deemed her injuries too severe to survive.
Having been brought to Symbio from Auckland Zoo, the endangered red panda was a tourist drawcard for the park.
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