Zookeepers Apprehend Escaped Zebra

Zookeepers in many places hold drills to practice catching an escaped animal, but zoos in Japan have elevated such drills to public relations events, with a zookeeper wearing an animal costume playing the escapee. In this year’s drill at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, one zookeeper had a “heart attack,” while another was “injured” by the zebra.

“The zebra is an animal that easily panics,” said Yumi Tamura, 27, who dressed as the zebra but usually cares for gorillas and monkeys.

“I myself felt panicky when acting it out,” she told reporters.

See a lot more pictures of the drill at Buzzfeed.