Humans Dressed as Animals Dominate Ueno Zoo’s Emergency Drills

By Ella Morton

Hkg1041848 — Ueno Zoo staff spread a net to catch a fake zebra as it strolls in the zoo park during the annual exercise for runaway animals.

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Every February the staff at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo get attacked by rhinos, zebras, and gorillas. The whole thing is very orderly—it’s part of the zoo’s annual Escaped Animal Drill, which helps train staff for emergency situations such as earthquakes and other natural disasters.

During the drill, zoo employees climb into papier-mâché rhino costumes, two-person zebra outfits, and fluffy gorilla suits. As they attempt to storm the gates and wreak havoc on the streets of Tokyo, their colleagues deploy giant nets and wrestle them to the ground. It’s a spectacle enjoyed by many, including school kids and tourists. Some zoo workers really get into the performance, playing dead or feigning injury to heighten the drama. Though big sticks and tranquilizer guns are involved, no one gets genuinely hurt.

Visit Atlas Obscura for more on the Escaped Animal Drill at Ueno Zoo.

Hkg1041844 — A zebra gazes at a fake zebra, which made a break for freedom.

56891358KK001_Earthquake — A zoo employee dressed as an escaped gorilla gets captured.

3013318KK002_Rhino — Zoo employees attempt to capture two other employees dressed as an escaped rhinoceros.

56891358KK003_Earthquake — A zoo employee dressed as an escaped gorilla pretends to attack a zoo warden.

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