Staff at Tobe Zoo in Ehime, south, Japan, took part in an emergency drill on Saturday to make sure they could cope if one of their big cats escape. 

A side-splitting video shows zoo workers staging an attempted lion escape in case one of the beasts managed to get out during an earthquake or other disaster. 

At one point the camera cuts to a pair of real lions looking on bemused. 

The clip begins with a group of workers erecting a net to block the 'creature' inside the site. 

The camera then cuts to a man stumbling around dressed up as a cartoon lion, before running towards the zookeepers and 'attacking' one of them through the net.

The employee falls to the floor before colleagues come to their rescue. 

The second part of the video sees a minivan driving through the zoo as one worker takes aim at the person in costume with a toy gun.

When the zookeeper fires, the man in costume falls to the ground as if they have actually been shot. 

After checking to see if the 'lion' is dead by poking it with a long stick, the emergency workers rush out en masse to put the body in a bag. 

Japanese zoos often stage animal escape scenarios to make sure all employees are prepared.

Another video shows a similar operation - this time with someone dressed up as a zebra at a zoo in Tokyo.  

Compiled by Olalekan Adeleye

MailOnline