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Video shows moment 19-year-old climbs into lion enclosure and is mauled to death in front of horrified visitors
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A disturbing video has captured the moment a 19-year-old man was mauled to death by a lioness after climbing into her enclosure at a zoo in Brazil.
Last December, a teen named Gerson de Melo Machado entered the lioness enclosure at Parque Zoobotânico Arruda Câmara, also known as Bica, in João Pessoa, Brazilian newspaper Correio Braziliense reported.
Machado reportedly climbed more than 18 feet over safety structures before entering through a gap and lowering himself toward the ground by sliding down a tree.
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A video filmed by visitors and shared on X shows Machado descending as the lioness notices his presence and rushes toward him.
The animal then pounced on Machado and mauled his leg, pulling him to the ground. He appeared to attempt to escape before disappearing from view.
Zoo closes following fatal attack
The zoo confirmed Machado's death in an official statement and announced that it would remain closed while authorities investigate what happened.
"We inform you that Bica will remain closed to visitors until the conclusion of the investigations and official procedures, prioritizing safety and transparency and our commitment to the safety of our visitors, employees, and animals," read a joint statement issued by the zoo and João Pessoa’s city hall.
Officials described the incident as "sad" and said Machado had deliberately entered the lioness' enclosure.
The lioness, nicknamed Leona, experienced a high level of stress following the incident but is doing well and receiving the necessary care, the zoo revealed.
Officials emphasized that euthanizing the animal was never considered, saying she is healthy and has not displayed aggressive behavior outside of the incident.
Thiago Nery, a veterinarian who works at Bica, also said Leona did not eat Machado and did not need to be immobilized using darts.
The counselor speaks about Machado's mental health
Following Machado's death, Verônica Oliveira, a child welfare counselor from the state of Paraíba who said she knew the teenager, spoke about his history.
Oliveira said Machado had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been institutionalized several times, per NBC News.
She also claimed he had received assistance for eight years from the Child Welfare Council of Mangabeira, a neighborhood in João Pessoa, and said his psychiatric problems had not been properly recognized by the Brazilian state.
"Gerson needed treatment, which was not offered. Gerson went through all the institutional care facilities in this city. Son of a schizophrenic mother and schizophrenic grandparents, but the psychiatrists insisted on saying that he was just a boy with behavioral problems," Oliveira wrote in a social media post.
"My feeling today is one of outrage. Because I never remained silent in the face of the absurd violations of rights that this citizen, who will be buried, suffered. He should have been in (psychiatric) treatment," she added.
Oliveira also said Machado had dreamed of taming lions on a safari in Africa and had previously tried to sneak into the landing gear of an airplane in the hope of being taken there.
Local media reported that a state court had ruled a month before Machado's death that he should be interned at the Custody and Psychiatric Treatment Hospital (HCTP).
According to the reports, medical assessments concluded that Machado was "entirely incapable of understanding the criminal nature of his act or of behaving".
However, officials were reportedly unable to locate him in the months following the ruling.