A 19-year-old was mauled to death by a lion on Sunday after climbing into the lion’s enclosure at a zoo in Brazil.
According to Fox News, the victim, identified by Correio Braziliense, a local media outlet, as 19-year-old Gerson de Melo Machado, was killed by a lion after climbing a roughly 26-foot-tall fence and entering the lioness’ enclosure at Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park (Bica) in João Pessoa, Paraíba. The local media outlet reported that Machado was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had mental health issues.
Verônica Oliveira, a child welfare counselor who monitored Machado, told Correio Braziliense that the 19-year-old had dreamed of traveling to Africa and becoming a lion tamer. The counselor added that Machado was previously found hiding in an airplane’s landing gear, believing that the airplane would take him to Africa.
In a viral video shared on X, formerly Twitter, the 19-year-old can be seen climbing the fence to the lioness’ enclosure before sliding down a tree to reach the lion. Meanwhile, the lion can be seen spotting Machado, waiting for him to reach the bottom of the tree, and pouncing on the teenager. Machado can be seen attempting to run away from the lion before disappearing in the enclosure’s bushes and later being pounced on again by the lion.
“The Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park (Bica) deeply regrets what happened this Sunday morning, when a man deliberately invaded the lioness’ enclosure, resulting in his death,” Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “This is an extremely sad episode for everyone, and we express our solidarity and condolences to the family and friends of the still unidentified man.”
The zoo confirmed that the park was “immediately closed” as part of its safety procedures following Sunday’s incident with the lion.
“We reinforce that the park follows strict technical norms and safety standards, and we are cooperating fully with all responsible authorities in clarifying the facts,” zoo officials stated. “The Arruda Câmara Park is in solidarity with the family of the boy who passed away, deeply regrets the loss and wishes strength at this difficult time.”
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According to Fox News, zoo officials also confirmed that there were no plans to euthanize the lion due to the incident stemming from a “completely unpredictable” situation that was “outside of any scenario within the park’s routine.”
“Leona, the lioness of Arruda Camara Park, is doing well and will continue to receive all the necessary care,” the zoo said. “Following the incident, she was immediately assessed by the technical team and [remains] under observation and continuous monitoring, as she has undergone a high level of stress. It is important to reiterate that euthanasia was never considered.”
Pictures from Sunday’s incident were shared by The New York Post on social media.
