Transferred to a conditioned enclosure. Pavilion closed, it had never happened
After three lionesses died, three other lions are in critical condition at the Tama Zoo, in the western suburbs of Tokyo, due to a record heat wave that hit Japan in recent days.
Three other animals, two males and one female, which despite the protective measures put in place in the zoo were unable to stand up, were transferred by the staff to spend their convalescence in an internal enclosure equipped with portable air conditioners.
Between July 28 and August 2, Mugi, 3 years old, Ichigo, 11 years old, and Ruena, 15 years old, died. Autopsies showed severe and systemic dehydration, with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, compatible with heat stroke. The metropolitan administration, which manages the park, has commissioned external investigations to ascertain the definitive causes.
The crisis, according to local media, began in mid-July, when two of the 16 lions in the zoo (a total of 5 males and 11 females) showed loss of appetite and lethargy. The symptoms then spread to ten animals, some of which lost consciousness. Despite treatment with intravenous fluids, ventilators and nebulizers, and the closure of the exhibition area, the three lionesses were unable to survive.
The event is unprecedented for the zoo, which has been breeding and exhibiting felines since 1964. The climate context is extreme: according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), 34 locations exceeded 40 degrees this summer, surpassing the record of 30 cases recorded in the whole of 2025. Average temperatures in western Japan at the end of July were the highest since 1946.
