Tama Zoo In Tokyo Trains For Animal Escape With A Guy Dressed As A Snow Leopard

Japanese Zoo Rehearses Escaped Animal Drill... With A Bloke In A Onesie

A Japanese zoo has continued its tradition of going over-the-top on staff training days.

Tama Zoo in Tokyo often make the headlines with their unique brand of emergency preparation. They practice for extreme scenarios with a member of staff dressed as a potential runaway animal.

This year, it was a bloke in a snow leopard costume.

One staff member was "attacked" and needed pretend-CPR, but other employees managed to get the beast surrounded and shoot it with a tranquiliser dart.

Tama zoological park director Yutaka Fukada said: "We focused on making this drill as realistic as possible.

"One of our staff being knocked down injured and then being knocked unconscious and going into cardiac arrest was a part of that."

The escape drills are also a great source of entertainment for visitors.

The man in the costume, however, would have preferred to scare the children: "Personally I feel I did my best but it didn't work for kids. I'm a bit disappointed," Toshiya Nomura added.

Previous "animals" used in the training include zebras, gorillas, tigers and a rhinoceros.

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