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Curzon
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Curzon

Date

November 8th, 2008

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Why disaster prevention measures in Japan scare me

A zoo in Japan went to extreme measures recently to make sure they were prepared in case a rhino broke loose. Two people wearing a massive rhino costume pranced around while workers practice their response in such an event. First they put up a net barricade—sure to stop any rhino in its tracks—and poke it with long poles through the net. People are knocked over and fall to the ground like a bad school play, and the rhino is finally downed with a tranquilizer dart.

Oh, and I love the soundtrack.

While amusing as a joke, it scares me to think about what the authorities have in mind for when a major earthquake happens.

Comments to this entry

mihnea
November 8, 2008
12:58 pm
amusing that they consider those nets useful for a 2 ton animal :))
ElamBend
November 8, 2008
1:16 pm
Actually, the way Rhino vision works, it doesn't take much fro them to perceive a solid place. For instance, if I held up a sheet, a rhino would perceive it as a wall. I think that is the purpose of the nets, not to contain through physical restrain, but by tricking the rhino.

As for the rhino suit, it reminds me of Ace Ventura 2 (although, I am in no way acknowledging that I have watched that movie).
Chirol
November 9, 2008
4:15 am
That is incredibly, incredibly disturbing. As someone who's never visited Japan and knows little about them, I can safely say this is why people think the Japanese are so f**ked up =)
Aceface
November 9, 2008
8:18 am
The above video is the annual rescue drill at Ueno Zoo.I spotted two people I know.The drill is mostly focused on how to keep the audience away from the animal,and prevent them escape from the estate so that the keepers can encircle the animal in certain sector of the zoo.
Most of the big mammal exhibit are made of concretes and iron,plus earth quake proof.What keepers are worried about is smaller mammals in the gages like wallabies and macaques
I can't recall when they started to use constume in the drill,but they've found out that TV crews love the constumed gorillas and lions gang-bashed by the keepers.
ROK Drop Weekly Linklets - 09NOV08
November 9, 2008
8:49 pm
[...] Leave it to the Japanese to plan for every disaster contingency possible. [...]