Three lions die of heatstroke at Tokyo zoo

TOKYO – Three female lions, aged from three to 15 years old, died between July 28 and Aug 2 at Tama Zoological Park in Hino, Tokyo, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Tokyo Zoological Park Society.Autopsies revealed that all three suffered from dehydration and multiple organ failure, and the cause of all the deaths is believed to be heatstroke.As of July, the park was home to a total of 16 lions – five males and 11 females, aged one to 20.Ten lions developed symptoms such as loss of appetite and reduced activity and required medical treatment following a prolonged period of extreme heat beginning in mid-July.Public viewing of the animals has been suspended since July 23. Currently, one female and two male lions remain in poor health and are undergoing treatment.The park began breeding and exhibiting lions in 1964.“There has never been a case in which lions died due to heat at Tama Zoological Park,” an official with the Tokyo metropolitan government said. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK