Thailand Zoo Staff Dons Ostrich Costume, Pretends To Be Escaped Animal In Emergency Drill

Thailand Zoo Staff Dons Ostrich Costume For Emergency Drill

To prepare for emergencies, most institutions hold regular practice drills so that everyone knows what to do when things hit the fan.

But what happens when a zoo has to practise for an ostrich escape?

This Zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand, had the brilliant idea of getting one of their staff to dress up as an ostrich to simulate the real thing. Or at least as close to it as possible.

The pictures of the ‘bird’s’ capture was later uploaded on Facebook, much to the amusement of netizens.

Thailand zoo staff dresses up as ostrich, complete with sports shoes

On 24 Aug, Chiang Mai Zoo posted a series of photos about their latest escape drill on Facebook.

While it may sound like business as usual for the busy zoo, there seemed to be something odd about the animal they were practising with.

Upon taking a closer look, viewers can tell that the ostrich was a man disguised in a makeshift costume.

Draped in a black cloak, the man painted his face white and outfitted himself with wings and the ostrich’s signature long neck.

He also wore a fat costume to mimic the ostrich’s signature plump look. Perhaps to make movement easier, the man kitted himself out with running shoes that could help him rival the bird’s top speeds.

Other zoo handlers capture stray ‘ostrich’ & pose for victory photo

The ‘ostrich’ didn’t run amok for very long, as subsequent photos show the team successfully capturing the runaway.

In one photo, handlers surrounded the ‘ostrich’, even covering its head with a black cloth seemingly to calm the creature.

The handler in the front also had a huge fishing net in his hand as they escorted the ‘ostrich’ somewhere else.

After a successful capture, the higher-ups seemed to discuss the execution of the drill, as the guilty party stood solemnly by the side.

After ticking the boxes on their checklist, the team stood for a victory pose at the end of their practice drill. Of course, they included the ‘ostrich’ too.

Ostrich escape simulation part of wild animal management plan

For some context, this drill is part of the zoo’s wild animal management plan.

In case of emergencies, the drills can better prepare the veterinary team and animal care staff with their coordination.

Though it may look silly to some, this is not the first time that Chiang Mai Zoo has had someone suit up as an animal.

Back in 2019, they performed a similar exercise with a ‘kangaroo’.

It’s safe to say that the operation went without a hitch as the ‘kangaroo’ was swiftly trapped.

Hope team is prepared for any animal emergencies

There is no reasonable way to practise these drills with real animals, so this compromise looks like the next best thing.

That said, it’s still hilarious to see the drill go down through the photos.

Hopefully, the team at Chiang Mai Zoo are ready if an ostrich ever decides to put their training to the test.

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Featured image adapted from Chiang Mai Zoo on Facebook.