the directive put kagawa in a difficult position. he was the head zoo keeper in takanatsu. his grandson kazumi is now 83. he used to live with his grandfather in a house on the zoo grounds. the boy was allowed to feed the lion at a time when many people barely had enough to eat. kazumi rodode his bicycle to ho farms to collect food for the animal. but that ended. >> translator: in march of 1945, unfortunately,y, the lion was st to death. >> reporter: kagawa ended up asking a hunting club to kill the lion. he was being kept in a wooden cage. the zoo could not afford concrete. >> translator: on n that day, i couldn't bring myself to see the lion and say good-bye. it didn't feel right. i didn't give it its final meal. then i heard the gunshots. they were loud. and carried quite a distance. i don't think i'll ever forget that sound. >> reporter: kazumi stayed away from the site, unable to face the evidence of what had happened. four months later, takamatsu was indeeded bombed. the zoo, however, was not damaged. >> translator: the cage survived the air raids. if we had known wha