SEATTLE - The Woodland Park Zoo is a favorite family spot for many, a place for children and adults alike to safely gaze at exotic animals. Nestled in a residential Seattle neighborhood no one can recall a visitor ever been seriously hurt by an animal. But that doesn't mean they aren't prepared for that heart-stopping scenario.

KING

The Firearms Emergency Response team is comprised of about a dozen zoo employees.

In 2004, a 300-pound gorilla did escape at the Dallas Zoo, seriously mauling four people. The zoo had to wait for the Dallas police to respond. They ultimately killed the animal.

It’s a situation zoo workers here have made plans to avoid.

"No one can cover every contingency. But we're prepared and drilled for most contingencies,” said Bret Sellers, Woodland Park Zoo's collection manager and team leader for the Firearms Emergency Response team.

They train monthly at the Seattle police department's firing range.

"Who would want to be on the firearms team?” asked Trinidad Alcaraz, zoo security manager. “It had to be somebody who cares about the animals, not just anybody who's here to pull the trigger."

The team is comprised of about a dozen zoo employees whose normal jobs range from animal keepers to the carpenter.

"It’s very defined for us,” Sellers said. “It’s when there's imminent threat to human life."

As long as an escaped animal is not threatening human life, the first plan of attack is to bring in a veterinarian with tranquilizer darts. It’s only if that fails or if human life is threatened that the emergency response team is brought on board.

The zoo's guns and ammunition are considerably bigger than what police use, suitable for large animals.

All members, who are certified annually, know the quickest and most humane method to put down whatever dangerous animal they may have to deal with.

Because of these efforts, the zoo has worked out an arrangement with Seattle police that puts the emergency response team in charge, as long as the animal remains inside zoo walls.

It may seem like an odd job for people who devoted their careers to caring for these creatures, but it’s just one more way to ensure the wellbeing of both their animals and the human beings who visit them.

"I think the most important thing for people to know is that we've never used this, and we hope to never use it," Sellers said.

While the zoo emergency response team has complete control of an escaped animal inside zoo walls, Seattle police take charge if the animal leaves zoo grounds.