An easy mistake to make?

You may laugh but would you really be able to spot the difference between a fully grown 180 kg gorilla and a middle aged man dressed in a gorilla suit?

Now, whilst most of you are probably thinking to yourself that yes, you would be able to tell the difference, unfortunately for an employee of Loro Parque Zoo on the Spanish Island of Tenerife, the Zoo vet didn’t spot the difference.

Any business should ensure that procedures are in place to minimise danger to members of the public. In the case of zoos this includes having practice drills to ensure that if an animal escapes the staff know what to do and have practiced it beforehand.

The zoo started a practice drill where a 35 year old zoo employee was dressed as a gorilla. He then “escaped” from an area of the zoo and the alarms were raised. Unfortunately for the “man dressed in a gorilla costume” the zoo had told all the people involved in the emergency drill that it was a practice except the zoo vet who as soon as he heard the alarm sounds grabbed his tranquiliser gun and proceeded to shoot the zoo employee with a tranquiliser which had been designed to knock out a 180 kg gorilla.

The zoo employee was rushed to hospital where he was treated and fortunately made a full recovery.

Somehow I doubt whether he will volunteer to dress as a gorilla at the next practice.