Zookeepers dressed up as gibbons and made monkey sounds in a bizarre training exercise to prepare for escaped animals.

The two employees, garbed in furry monkey costumes and black-and-white face make-up, hooted like excited primates during the amusing drill at the Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand on June 21.

Other zookeepers were filmed chasing the fugitive pair to practice catching zoo animals that had broken out of their enclosures.

The staff simulated using tranquiliser guns when a male 'gibbon' climbed up a tree out of reach. They used a cherry picker to retrieve the 'monkey' and return him to the exhibition area.

Chiang Mai Zoo Director Wuthichai Muangman said the eccentric exercise was a 'crucial' way for staff to prepare for emergencies.

He said: 'The simulation exercise serves as a crucial security measure to ensure the safety of visitors, and to effectively handle emergency situations in the event of animal escapes.

'It also provides an opportunity to test the coordination and efficiency of the various working units in reporting and responding to such incidents.'

Zookeepers pretending to be runaway animals has become a familiar practice among zoos in Thailand.

Last March 8, another caretaker 'transformed' into a cartoonish pink hippo at the Khon Kaen Zoo for the training.

While last August, a staff member 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 an employee donning a onesie and boxing gloves.