A 19-year-old man has been killed by a lion after scaling a wall and entering the animal's enclosure at a zoo in Brazil. The incident occurred on Sunday at Arruda Camera Park in the northeast of the country.
Gerson de Melo Machado managed to climb a 20-foot wall and slide down a tree into the enclosure, where a lioness named Leona was present. Footage captured by visitors shows the lioness pacing beneath the tree before pouncing on the teenager. Witnesses could be heard saying, 'It got him, it got him.'
Machado had dreamed of becoming a lion tamer, according to his child protection counsellor, Veronica Oliveira. She stated that he and his family had a history of mental health issues, with his mother suffering from schizophrenia and the family living in extreme poverty. Oliveira described his cognitive capacity as being that of a five-year-old and said that inadequate mental health support contributed to the tragedy.
Local authorities are investigating the incident and have not ruled out the possibility that it was a suicide attempt. A statement from the zoo confirmed that the park has been closed pending the investigation. The zoo has also stated that the lioness will not be euthanised, as she is healthy and does not exhibit aggressive behaviour outside the context of the incident.
