Three lionesses died of heatstroke in Tokyo zoo
Three lionesses died from the heat at Tama Zoo in Tokyo. According to preliminary findings, the cause of their death was heatstroke, writes The Japan News.
Illustrative photo. Photo: magnific.com
According to Tokyo authorities and the Tokyo Zoological Society, the animals, aged between 3 and 15, died between July 28 and August 2. Autopsies showed that all three lionesses had severe dehydration and multiple organ failure, consistent with the effects of overheating.
As of July, the zoo housed 16 lions — five males and eleven females aged between one and twenty years. After a prolonged heatwave that began in mid-July, ten animals experienced loss of appetite and decreased activity. All of them received veterinary care.
Currently, three more lions — one female and two males — remain in serious condition and are continuing treatment.
In recent weeks, Japan has been experiencing anomalous heat. Since July 21, air temperatures in some regions of the country have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. In the week from July 20 to 26, more than 18,000 people were hospitalized with heatstroke, and 45 people died from the effects of the heat.