AKIPRESS.COM - A vet accidentally has shot a tranquiliser dart into a zookeeper wearing a gorilla suit, Reuters said.

The accident took place during a drill when the veterinarian was apparently unaware that the gorilla on the loose was in fact an employee wearing a suit, agencies reported.

The victim at Loro Parque Zoo in Tenerife, Spain, was shot with a tranquiliser dart with a dose meant for a 180-kg ape.

The zoo staff was wearing a gorilla costume as part of a drill simulating the escape of a captive animal.

Similar drills are standard procedure at zoos, but it appears the vet was totally unaware of the ongoing exercise and promptly shot the suited employee in the leg.

Due to the massive injection, the zookeeper suffered an allergic reaction. He was taken to University Hospital of the Canary Islands, where he was reported to be in serious condition.