Tokyo zoo lions: three die of suspected heatstroke

Three lionesses at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo have died from suspected heatstroke, and several other lions are being treated after struggling with Japan's humid summer heat, a zoo spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The zoo said 10 of its 16 lions had shown symptoms such as loss of appetite and reduced activity since mid-July. One three-year-old female died on Tuesday, another aged 11 died on Friday and the third, aged 15, died on Sunday.

The zoo closed the lion enclosure, where visitors are normally driven around in zebra-pattern safari buses, until further notice.

The spokeswoman said a veterinarian suspected heatstroke because dehydration and multiple organ failure were observed. She said keepers were strengthening heat measures by sprinkling water, improving ventilation and installing spot air conditioners.

She said lions are often thought to be resistant to heat but that Japan's summer heat comes with high humidity, unlike dry heat in Africa.

Animal rights group PETA said the lions, which it named as Mugi, Ichigo and Luena, had lived and died in confinement. PETA said zoos display animals for profit rather than putting their needs first.

Japan recorded its hottest summer on record last year, and parts of the country have reached 40C in recent weeks. The fire and disaster management agency said nearly 18,600 people were taken to hospital for heatstroke between July 20 and 26, with 45 pronounced dead on arrival.

Japan has about 1,300 heat-related deaths annually and is aiming to halve that number by 2030. Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in Japan and elsewhere.