3 lions perish at Tokyo zoo as Japan bakes in ‘cruelly hot’ summer

Authorities at Tama Zoological Park have strengthened cooling measures to help the animals beat the heat

The zoo’s lion exhibit has been suspended since July 23 when 10 out of its 16 big cats started showing “loss of appetite and decreased activity” from the heat, a spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday.

The sick animals received treatment, but three lionesses succumbed to the brutal temperatures: one last Tuesday, another on Friday, and a third on Sunday. The others are still being looked after.

“According to our veterinarian, the cause of the deaths is suspected to be heatstroke” as dehydration and multiple organ failure were observed, the spokeswoman said.

Summer’s sweltering heat came early this year, she said. “Heat arrived suddenly after the rainy season was over” in late July.

“Even though lions are thought to be resistant to heat, zookeepers have been strengthening countermeasures to cope with Japan’s summer heat in recent years. Heat here comes with high humidity; that is different from heat with dry air in Africa.”