Brazilian authorities confirmed a tragic event where a 19-year-old male climbed over a wall and a security fence over six meters high into a lion enclosure at a zoo in João Pessoa. He was mauled to death by a lioness in front of visitors, amid videos shared online. The zoo confirmed it will not consider euthanizing the animal, calling the incident unpredictable.
A tragic event took place at the Arruda Camara Zoobotanical Park in João Pessoa, Brazil, last Sunday (30 Nov) when a teenage boy was mauled to death by a lioness inside the animal enclosure while visitors watched.
The João Pessoa municipal authorities stated that the young man, identified by Brazilian media as Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, "intentionally trespassed into the lioness's enclosure." The local government said in a statement, "He quickly and surprisingly climbed a wall over six meters high, scaled the safety fence, reached a tree, and descended into the enclosure."
A video circulated online shows "Leona," the lioness, lying beside the glass barrier separating her from visitors, as the teenage boy climbs down from the tree. Visitors reacted with shock upon witnessing the event.
Leona spotted him and immediately ran toward the tree, pulling Machado's body to the ground. Bushes shook, and the young man stood up briefly before disappearing from view. Visitors exclaimed, "She got him... she got him," and "Oh my God!" The authorities' statement said Machado "died from injuries caused by the animal."
The zoo's veterinarian clarified that the lion enclosure has a security system meeting standards and stands over six meters tall. They confirmed that "this incident was completely unforeseeable and beyond any routine zoo situation."
The government statement indicated that preliminary investigations suggest "the man's actions may have been a suicide attempt."
A child protection advisor revealed on Instagram that she had cared for Machado for eight years, stating he should have received psychiatric treatment because his mother and grandparents suffered from schizophrenia. However, state psychiatrists only diagnosed him with "behavioral problems." She also told other media that Machado dreamed of becoming a lion trainer and once cut through an airport fence to hide in an airplane wheel he believed was flying to Africa.
The zoo released a statement on Instagram calling the incident "deeply tragic" and said the zoo was closed for further investigation. They confirmed there was "never any consideration of euthanizing" Leona, as she "did not display aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident."
. CBS