Teenager mauled to death after breaking into lion enclosure at Brazilian zoo
GRAPHIC: Horror footage shows the moment zoo visitors scream at the 19-year-old to stop as he climbs across a fence and lowers himself into the lion enclosure via a tree.
WARNING: Graphic
A teenager has been mauled to death after breaking into a lion enclosure at a Brazilian zoo.
Gerson Machado, 19, was attacked by a lioness as he made his way down a tree to enter the enclosure at Arruda Camera Park in Joao Pessoa, in the country’s north-east, on Sunday.
Alarming footage filmed by zoo visitors and shared on social media shows the young man making his way along a six-metre high fence before climbing down a palm tree.
Onlookers can be heard screaming at Mr Machado to stop, with one woman yelling, “No, don’t go in boy!”
“Oh my god he’s going down,” another says.
The zoo, also known as Bica Park, will remain closed until an investigation into the tragedy is concluded, city officials said.
“Although security staff tried to stop [Mr Machado], he acted very quickly and died as a result of the injuries the lioness inflicted on him,” a spokesperson said.
“[He] scaled a 20ft wall and managed to get into the animal enclosure using one of the trees.
“According to police it was a possible act of suicide.
“We would like to express our solidarity with the family of the victim of this regrettable incident.”
A regional vetenary council will review the zoo’s surveillance, access control, and management systems as part of the city’s investigation into the incident.
Mr Machado, who had a history of mental health issues, had told social workers on multiple occasions about wanting to live among Africa’s big cats and had previously tried to reach Africa as a stowaway on a plane.
He was known to local authorities.
Veronica Oliveira, a child protection worker who supported Mr Machado for many years, said he has a family history of mental illness and grew up in extreme poverty. She said he needed further support for his own mental health.
“Although reports were requested because a mental disorder was evident, the State said he only had a behavioural problem,” she said, according to local media outlet, O Globo.
“Does someone who enters a lion’s cage, who throws cobblestones at a police car, have a behavioural problem? No, this isn’t just a behavioural problem. Gerson needed treatment, which wasn’t offered.”
Bica Park has said the lioness involved in the incident will not be euthanised, according to O Globo.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the zoo said the animal is under observation after experiencing “high levels of stress”.
“It is important to emphasise that at no point was euthanasia considered. The lioness is healthy, does not exhibit aggressive behaviour outside the context of the incident, and will not be euthanised,” they said.
“The protocol in situations like this calls for exactly what is being done: monitoring, behavioural assessment, and specialised care.”
Originally published as Teenager mauled to death after breaking into lion enclosure at Brazilian zoo
