A 19-year-old Brazilian teenager was mauled to death by a lioness after climbing into her enclosure at the Arruda Camara Zoobotanical Park in Joao Pessoa on Sunday, in full view of shocked zoo visitors.
Authorities say Gerson de Melo Machado scaled a six-metre wall, bypassed safety fencing, and climbed down a tree into the enclosure. The municipal government confirmed that he had “deliberately entered the lioness’s enclosure,” with officials suggesting his actions may have been a possible suicide attempt.
Videos taken by visitors show the lioness, named Leona, approaching the tree as Machado climbed down. She pulled him to the ground moments later. Bushes shook as the attack unfolded, with gasps and cries of “my God!” heard from onlookers.
Machado was identified through fingerprint analysis, according to Flavio Fabres, head of the Joao Pessoa Legal Medical Institute. The cause of death was “bleeding due to injuries to the neck vessels.”
The zoo was closed on Monday as state environmental authorities conducted an on-site inspection. Park veterinarian Thiago Nery defended the enclosure’s safety, calling the incident “completely unpredictable.” Officials stressed that euthanasia was never considered for Leona, who has shown no aggression outside the context of the attack.
Machado, who struggled with severe mental health issues, had long dreamed of becoming a lion tamer, according to those who worked with him. Child protection counsellor Veronica Oliveira, who had supported him for eight years, said he grew up without adequate psychiatric care. His mother and grandparents suffered from schizophrenia, and he had been repeatedly placed in institutional care.
Family members told reporters that Machado had spoken about going to Africa and had previously attempted dangerous stunts, including cutting through an airport fence and hiding in aircraft landing gear.
Edmilson Alves, director of a local prison unit, said Machado had been held 16 times in juvenile and adult detention centres. “He was a person who needed help but never received it,” he said. Another official described him as having the intellect of a five-year-old, calling the tragedy “sadly inevitable.”