A lioness named Daisy got out of her cage at the National Zoo in Dhaka's Mirpur area this afternoon, prompting authorities to evacuate visitors from inside the premises.

The incident occurred around 4:45pm, zoo director Rafiqul Islam Talukder told The Daily Star.

"The lioness escaped from the cage but was inside a 6-feet high netting erected to prevent visitors entering the compound. We administered sedatives and a few minutes ago, she was put back in her cage," he said at 7:20pm.

According to the director, the lioness wandered into an area that is also covered by the zoo's netted safety system.

All visitors who were inside the zoo were evacuated at the time, he confirmed.

Asked how the lioness managed to get out of its enclosure, the director said the gate may have been left unlocked. There is no broken or loose grille anywhere. A committee will be formed tonight to investigate the incident, he added.

Currently, there are five lions in the Mirpur Zoo.