Man, 19, mauled to death by lioness at zoo in front of other visitors
An unimaginable tragedy occurred on Sunday at a Brazilian zoo. 19-year-old Gerson de Melo Machado decided to climb a 20-foot-high wall to break into the lion’s enclosure and was mauled to death in front of other visitors.
The incident occurred at Parque Zoobotânico Arruda Câmara in João Pessoa, Paraíba. The botanical zoo, which is the home of hundreds of animal species, confirmed in a statement on Instagram that Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, was mauled to death by a lioness.
The municipal government of the coastal city of Joao Pessoa said that Machado had “deliberately invaded the lioness’ enclosure.”
A teenager was mauled to death by a lioness after sneaking into the animal’s pen in front of fellow visitors at a zoo in Brazil.
“In a rapid and surprising manner, he climbed a wall over six meters high, scaled the security bars, accessed one of the trees, and entered the enclosure,” the government said in a statement, per CBS.
The incident occurred in front of other visitors to the zoo, who, in a video, were heard saying, “It got him, it got him.”
Man mauled to death by lioness at zoo after climbing into enclosure
The government statement said Machado “died from injuries caused by the animal.” Further, the zoo issued a statement on Instagram, calling the incident “extremely sad.” The zoo has closed while investigations continue.
“We reiterate that the park follows rigorous technical standards and safety protocols, and we are fully cooperating with all responsible bodies to clarify the facts,” the statement read.
In another separate Instagram post, the park gave an update on the lioness, Leona. They stated that “euthanasia was never considered” for Leona, who “shows no aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident.”
“Leona, the lioness at Arruda Câmara Park, is doing well and will continue to receive all necessary care,” the zoo wrote. “After the incident, she was immediately evaluated by the technical team and remains under continuous observation and monitoring, as she experienced a high level of stress.”
“It is important to emphasize that euthanasia was never considered,” the zoo continued. “Leona is healthy, does not exhibit aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident, and will not be euthanized. The protocol in situations like this provides exactly what is being done: monitoring, behavioral assessment, and specialized care.
Possible suicide attempt
Thiago Nery, a veterinarian at the zoo, said the safety standards were more than enough as the enclosure had 8 meters of protection. Meanwhile, the government’s investigation showed that the man’s actions “may have been a possible suicide attempt.
