Bhubaneswar: A lion safari almost turned into a nightmare for 40 visitors at the Nandankanan Zoological Park here on Saturday after the bus they were travelling in got stuck for nearly 30 minutes.

However, the zoo authorities swung into action and rescued all the visitors.

A 20-minute drive through the meandering roads, criss-crossing the natural forest in a specially designed protective vehicle, takes the visitors into the lion safari every day. On Saturday, the vehicle carrying the 40 visitors entered the safari. But, it skidded off the road while negotiating a curve inside the safari around 2.30pm. Then it got stuck in the mud and did not break free despite several attempts by the driver.

It was a harrowing experience for the visitors as they waited with bated breath knowing that two lions were on the prowl nearby. However, no one was hurt in the incident as all the tourists were asked to stay inside the bus till alternate arrangements were made to evacuate them.

Deputy director of Nandankanan Zoological Park Jayant Das said: "After the got bus stuck in the mud, the driver immediately contacted our staff members. I rushed to the spot myself."

"We sent another bus to evacuate the visitors and the two lions, which were released to the safari for the visitors, were brought back to the feeding chambers. All the visitors were safely brought back," he said.

The low pressure-induced rain over the past three days in Bhubaneswar had worsened the safari track. "The road condition inside the safari got muddy, and the bus got stuck. There would be no such problem once the weather improves," said a zoo employee.

However, the visitors had a tough time throughout the duration of their wait. A few of them started screaming out of fear and the driver had difficulty handling them. "While a few were nervous, I did not lose my nerves," said Ramesh Das, who was on the bus.

The zoo has nearly 14 lions. Every day, the authorities release a few lions to the safari. It also houses a tiger safari, herbivore safari and bear safari.

The zoo and its nearly 151 species of animals is a major attraction for tourists. There are around 2,669 animals, including 634 mammals, 812 birds and 134 reptiles. It has nearly 88 species of indigenous species along with 32 exotic species. More than 30 lakh people visit the zoo every year.