Japan Heatwave Raises Zoo Animal Risks

An intense late-July heatwave in Japan and parts of East Asia caused widespread human heat illness and the suspected heatstroke deaths of three lionesses at Tokyo’s Tama Zoological Park.

The incident highlights how extreme heat can affect animals in human care as well as people, while increasing demand for shade, cooling, monitoring, and other protective measures in zoos. Scientists described the broader trend of worsening heat extremes as partly linked to human-caused climate change.