Three lions die of suspected heatstroke at Tokyo zoo

Three female lions died at Tokyo's Tama Zoological Park due to suspected heatstroke, with temperatures in the city spiking in mid-July causing severe dehydration among the zoo's lion population.

Three female lions died of suspected ​heatstroke at Tokyo's Tama ​Zoological Park over the last ‌week, the ​first heat-related deaths among the facility's lion population in its 62-year history. The lions, aged 3, 11 ‌and 15 and all born in the zoo, showed signs of severe dehydration and multiple organ failure in post-mortem exams, although the exact cause of death ‌is still under investigation, the zoo said in a press release this ‌week.

As temperatures in Tokyo suddenly spiked in mid-July, the majority of the zoo's 16 lions began losing their appetite and became lethargic to the point of requiring treatment, the zoo said. ⁠While ​some lions recovered, ⁠others deteriorated to develop severe symptoms including the inability to stand and loss of consciousness, it ⁠said. "No other animals have shown any signs of illness, but the staff are managing ​the animals more carefully than before," an official at the Tama ⁠Zoo said.

Zoo officials suspended public viewing of the lions on July 23 as their condition ⁠deteriorated. ​Treatment such as water-spraying and medicating through intravenous drips continues, the zoo said. Temperatures in the area rose to nearly 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) ⁠in mid- to late July, triggering heatstroke warnings. Lions are native to sub-Saharan Africa ⁠where they ⁠are accustomed to arid heat rather than Tokyo's combination of heat and high humidity, which makes it difficult for them ‌to thermoregulate.