A teenager in Brazil was fatally attacked by a lioness on Sunday after climbing over a six-meter wall, bypassing security barriers, and descending a tree into a restricted area at the Arruda Camara Zoobotanical Park, authorities reported.
Officials from the coastal city of Joao Pessoa stated that the young man identified by local media as 19-year-old Gerson de Melo Machado had intentionally entered the animals habitat. According to the government, he scaled the high wall quickly and unexpectedly, crossed the protective fencing, reached a tree inside the perimeter, and made his way down into the enclosure.
Videos shared online captured the lioness, named Leona, resting beside the viewing glass as visitors watched in disbelief while the teen climbed down the tree. The animal immediately rushed toward him, dragging him to the ground moments later. Shrubs shook as the struggle continued, and the teen briefly stood up before vanishing from sight. Onlookers can be heard exclaiming in shock.
Authorities confirmed that Machado died from injuries inflicted by the animal. The zoo announced on Instagram that it had closed temporarily while an investigation is underway, calling the incident deeply tragic. The park emphasized that it adheres to strict technical and safety standards and is cooperating fully with officials.
In a separate statement, the zoo stressed that euthanizing Leona was never considered, noting that she displays no aggressive tendencies outside the circumstances of the attack. Staff members, including veterinarians and handlers, are monitoring the lioness to ensure her emotional stability and safe return to normal routines.
Park veterinarian Thiago Nery defended the safety of the enclosure, saying it provides more than eight meters of protective structure. He characterized the event as unforeseeable and outside anything the facility had previously encountered.
Preliminary findings suggested that the teens actions may have been a possible suicide attempt. Child protection counselor Veronica Oliveira, who had worked with Machado for eight years, said he had cycled through various care institutions in the city. She explained that his mother and grandparents suffered from schizophrenia, while state psychiatrists labeled his issues as behavioral. According to Oliveira, he had long dreamed of becoming a lion tamer and had once breached an airport fence, hiding in an aircrafts landing gear under the belief it was headed for Africa.
Fatal lion incidents in zoos remain extremely rare, though this marks the second deadly attack in under three months. September saw a zookeeper in Thailand killed after exiting his vehicle during a safari park inspection, while last October a keeper in Crimea died when lions reached him through an improperly secured door. In 2018, a loose lion killed a recent college graduate at a North Carolina wildlife conservatory during routine cleaning, after a large ball obstructed the closure of the animals pen.
