A drill was held at Osaka’s Tennoji Zoo in the event of a huge earthquake that caused lions in the zoo to escape.
The drill was held at the Tennoji Zoo in Osaka City with visitors in attendance, and in addition to staff and employees, the fire department participated for the first time this year.
The drill was conducted under the assumption that a huge Nankai Trough earthquake had occurred at 10:00 a.m., and that a tremor of intensity 6 or lower was observed in Tennoji Ward.
When the earthquake was announced, staff members wearing helmets hurriedly patrolled the park to assess the extent of damage and gather information on any injuries.
During this time, information was received that a lion had escaped from its cage and attacked a zookeeper, and a staff member acting as the lion in a costume ran around the park.
The staff members, following a manual that describes what to do in the event of an escaped animal, drove the lion to the wall with shields and sticks, and finally captured it after a veterinarian shot it with an anesthetic gun to put it to sleep.
In addition, the zoo staff and firefighters worked together to conduct drills on how to respond in the event of injuries.
Takeru Mukai, director of the Tennoji Zoo, said, “The only way to prepare for a disaster that could happen at any time is to train repeatedly. We would like to make use of the lessons learned this time in the creation of new manuals and for future disasters.
【Tennoji Zoo, Osaka】
