Unaware that they would have a major PR event on their hands, a zoo in Japan decided to run some emergency drills – resulting in unintentional hysteria.
Tobe Zoological Park which is in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, had a drill over the weekend, which aimed to prep and train staff on how to properly respond if a lion ever breaks out of its enclosure. The results became meme-worthy.
Video footage of the drill depicts a man in a fake lion suit, running around the zoo while trying to escape.
Tobe Zoo in Aichi conducted a lion escape drill today.
— Spoon & Tamago (@Johnny_suputama) June 22, 2019
Note the expression on the actual lions faces.
pic.twitter.com/azuJYQhLCw
One clip of the footage shows the safely-enclosed lions staring upon the ridiculous safety shenanigans. Twitter users were very quick to pick up on the non-impressed looks of the real-life lions.
Lions are like “what in the hell is this?” pic.twitter.com/NFiI1RNkpb
— Angie Baer (@angiebaermn) June 22, 2019
Naturally, the Internet was quick to dole out the memes.
Tobe Zoo in Aichi conducted a lion escape drill today.
— Spoon & Tamago (@Johnny_suputama) June 22, 2019
Note the expression on the actual lions faces.
pic.twitter.com/azuJYQhLCw
They’ve just taught the lions their emergency plan. I’m not sure that’s the smartest move.
— ????House????️???? (@architek2ra) June 22, 2019
One Twitter user pointed out that since the lions are now aware of the contingent escape plan, they’ll be sure to do something entirely unexpected should they choose to uprise and escape.
I worked in a zoo and can confirm they do these drills like this ???? one time they did a rhino drill and very slowly drove a golf cart around with a rhino label on it lmao
— la_schwab (@la_schwab) June 22, 2019
Meanwhile, another Twitter user who used to work for the zoo recalled a time that the facility was preparing for a rhino escape. Apparently, during the drill, staff drove around the zoo grounds in a golf cart that just read “Rhino” on it.
[emebed]6月22日に「動物脱走対策訓練」を行いました。毎年行う訓練ですが今回は初めて開園日に行った為、来園された皆様には通行規制等にご協力頂きありがとうございました!来園者の安全を第一とし今後も訓練を積み重ね、何があっても動物園が安全だというこ…
Posted by 愛媛県立とべ動物園 on Sunday, June 23, 2019
The drill at the zoo is performed every year, although the zoo wrote on Facebook that this is the first time they’ve ever conducted a test while visitors were in the park.
