This is the amusing moment a zookeeper dressed as a tiger while being shot with a toy rifle for a bizarre animal escape drill in Thailand.

Staff at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province held the simulation to practice executing emergency guidelines on August 10.

Footage shows an employee donning the cartoonish tiger suit while hiding in the undergrowth. Caretakers and vets tasked to capture it had the area surrounded before pretending to neutralise the 'apex predator' with tranquilisers.

Zoo director Tewin Rattanawongsawat said: 'The drill was designed to ensure the safety of both tourists and staff by preventing injuries or fatalities in the event of an animal escape. It also helps boost confidence in the zoo's safety measures.'

The strange exercise is not the first to be held in Thai zoos. On March 8, staff of the Khon Kaen zoo had to catch a person dressed as a giant runaway pink hippo.

Last August, a caretaker wore a DIY ostrich costume in a similar emergency drill at the Chiang Mai zoo. While in 2019, the same zoo simulated a kangaroo on the loose, with a staff member donning a onesie and boxing gloves.