We all love a good escape story. We’ve loved watching escape artists like Harry Houdini, films like The Great Escape, even our kids are now having birthday parties at Escape Rooms. And of course animals escaping circuses and zoos are often legendary.

When I took this photo of these lionesses at the Taronga Zoo there were a few of us standing there gazing at these very regal creatures sunning themselves on their platform. The scene was so peaceful that the keeper behind us couldn’t resist telling us a story…

Back in 2022, she related with a touch of pride and wonderment, these lionesses were part of the group that escaped by scratching at a section of the fence that must have surprised them when without much difficulty it gave way and with a little bit of digging they wriggled underneath it and wandered out.

The zoo was locked down, a “code one” alert was issued and staff and visitors sought shelter. But unlike the extraordinary feats of Houdini or the daring of Steve McQueen their flight from captivity was short-lived and any dreams they may have had of jumping on the ferry and exploring Circular Quay were perhaps put aside at the thought of missing their lunch (and their Mum!). So back they wandered with Mum Maya calling out to her cubs and I imagine a little miffed at her wayward partner Ato who had gone with them. Hopefully he was able to argue it was a protective measure. Or maybe that they weren’t going to go far after all as the comedian Jimmy Rees said about the escape “Why would you leave the North Shore?”

In the painting I’ve added the laughing kookaburra and little penguin maybe egging them on to another escape with the magpie and star finch helpfully holding keys for them. The bakelite film noir telephones dial reads, “In Case of Emergency dial Ext 170” but I don’t think it will be called anytime soon as that other escape movie once told us, “There’s no place like home”, but it doesn’t stop us dreaming!…