Chinese zoo stages mock tiger escape

A Chinese man dressed as a cartoon tiger was used to stage a mock escape from a zoo.

The rehearsal took place at China's Chengdu Zoo, which saw the man rolling around in between trees dressed as one of the animals - and he was hunted down by guns, brooms and sticks before being "captured".

He was stopped at gunpoint and carried off on a stretcher, past a real tiger, who watched the safety drill from its enclosure.

The man walked around the roads and green areas of the zoo - based in the Sichuan province - which houses 250 species of animals on more than 18 hectares of land.

Spectators watched on as the figure, which resembled a cartoon character version of a tiger, pretended to try to avoid being captured.