How do you prepare for an escaped lion at the zoo? Obviously, you dress someone up in a lion suit borrowed from a child’s birthday party and shoot them with a tranquilizer as the Mission Impossibletheme plays in the background.
At least, that’s what Tobe Zoo in Ehime Prefecturedid in their lion escape training video released a few weeks ago.
Witness below as the “lion” waltzes around in a daze and viciously attacks a zookeeper—really just pushes him to the ground—before being hauled off, tail between his legs.
The video, shared by the Mainichi Shimbun on June 22, left us all asking “are y’all forreal?” Apparently, the zoo was.
When Twitter got a hold of this comic gold, it went viral instantly and further hilarity ensued. People especially called out the major side-eye from the actuallions, who were chilling in their cages during the whole debacle. Let’s look at some of the best tweets that we couldn’t stop laughing at.
Meanwhile in Japan
When the video was first released, the Mainichi Shimbun’s Twitter account @eizo_desk helpfully created a four-panel manga-style summary of the video, tweeting that the two lions’ reaction was the best part.
Why you always lion?
This mood was then expertly summed up by Twitter user @profharbinger.
Fools!
I’ve seen those lions’ faces somewhere before
If I knew that were my job for the day, I might be as well
Well, it is pretty convincing
Sometimes you just gotta start from the bottom and work your way up to the top
Finally, someone speaks the truth
The silly video was picked up by media outlets across the world who were also left wondering what exactly they had just watched.
This wasn’t even just a one-off though—these escape drill videos are totally athingat zoos all across Japan.
Check out this monkey escape drill from a zoo in Kyoto and tell me the monkey’s “oh no” face when the cops roll up on him doesn’t make you cackle!
Now this is what you call acting
“A Kyoto zoo performed a catch simulation in case a monkey escaped from the zoo 😂” tweeted @Ryo_Saeba_3.
Eye of the other tiger
Here’s one of a tiger drill. That poor tiger is getting anxiety wondering why his homeboy is being dragged off.
Let’s just hope that all the award-winning acting on display has prepared zookeepers for the real thing. As @oldboy2012 pointed out:
He tweeted, “This is not a drill! I repeat this is not a drill!”
If you thought that video was silly, wait till you see this busty squirrelfound at Inokashira ParkZoo in west Tokyo.
