Zoos are home to dangerous animals and for this reason they have a moral and legal obligation to protect the community and visitors. All zoos carry out semi-annual training in response to various animal escape scenarios. But zoos in Japan often take their drills a step further, staging elaborate dry runs by using costumed zookeepers as fugitive animals. The skits can seem silly at times but are rooted in an alarming, real-life incident that took place in Tokyo almost 90 years ago.
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