Visitors to Shanghai wildlife park stranded after exit gate breaks

More than 400 people were stranded on buses in a wildlife park in Shanghai for about 45 minutes on Saturday, as lions and other animals wandering about, local media reports.

The park management staff said the electronic gate that allowed the buses to exit the area had malfunctioned, according to the Shanghai Morning Post.

The tour through Shanghai Wild Animal Park usually takes 35 minutes, but visitors had to wait another 45 minutes as employees fixed the gate. They set up alternative power cables and restored the electricity. The park is divided into seven zones, including one where large animals move about freely.

Visitors are taken through the area in modified buses, which have metal bars on the window. Despite the safety measures, some visitors reported feeling alarmed as the animals milled about and buses could not move forward. The park said it was the first time the gate had malfunctioned.