This is the bizarre moment a zookeeper dressed up as a giant pink hippo during an animal escape simulation in Thailand.

The caretaker wore the wacky cartoonish costume pretending to rampage around the grounds of the Khon Kaen Zoo for the bizarre drill held on March 8.

Other zookeepers were filmed herding the runaway 'hippo' using long wooden sticks and heavy boards to block its escape. They also practised the proper chain of command protocol and how to fire tranquiliser guns in the event the animal does break out of its enclosure.

The unusual routine ended with the pink hippo safely subdued and hauled onto the back of a truck using a crane.

Zoo deputy director Wanchai Sawasu said the rehearsal would help prevent injuries or deaths and build confidence in the safety of zoo-goers and staff.

He said: 'If a real situation arises, we will know how to control the situation and coordinate with the relevant departments because we have practiced the guidelines.'

The strange exercise is not the first to be held in Thai zoos.

Last August, a caretaker wore a DIY ostrich costume in a similar emergency drill at the Chiang Mai zoo.

In 2019, the same zoo simulated a kangaroo on the loose, with a staff member donning a onesie and boxing gloves.