A drill preparing workers at a zoo in Ehima, Japan for an escaped lion has become the laughingstock of the internet over the weekend.
Like other parks in the country, Tobe Zoo, located in the Iyo District, had someone dress in a full animal costume to play the part — and real lions were not so thrilled.
In a now-viral video, staff members are seen setting up large nets to catch the escaped “lion,” which then “attacks” and knocks one down.
The “lion,” which continues to wander across the park, is ultimately stopped with what appears to be a tranquilizer dart.
The fake beast lays motionless on the ground as workers rush to secure and return it to its enclosure.
As seen in the video, real lions watched the drill, seemingly unimpressed at the unfolding of events.
Johnny Waldman, founder of the Japanese culture blog “Spoon & Tamago,” shared the clip on Twitter, which has since gone viral with over 84,000 likes and 36,000 comments.
“Tobe Zoo in Aichi conducted a lion escape drill today. Note the expression on the actual lions faces,” Waldman tweeted.
Just last month, Tobe Zoo added a male lion to its den, so his arrival may have prompted the drill.
Judging from the video, it’s unclear how effective the drill actually is, so it’s best to hope that such an escape never happens.
Netizens chimed in with their own memes and similar experiences:
Others pointed out that the lions may have actually taken down notes from the scene.
Featured Images via Twitter / @tobezooofficial (Left, Right) and YouTube (Screenshot) / The Mainichi (Center)
