Zookeepers chase down man in chimpanzee suit as part of escape drill

Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Workers at a Tokyo zoo chased down a man in a chimpanzee costume as part of a drill simulating the events of an escape at the facility.

Footage from the Tuesday drill at the Tama Zoological Park shows some of the 100 participants, including zookeepers, police, and firefighters, tracking and chasing a man dressed in a full-body chimpanzee costume.

The "chimp" used a tree branch to keep his would-be captors at bay while drill participants chased after him with nets.

The drill ended with a simulated shot from a tranquilizer gun putting the primate to sleep.

The zoo's escape drills have become a yearly event, with previous simulations involving humans dressed as a zebra and a leopard.