A teenager has been mauled to death in front of horrified onlookers after leaping into a lion’s enclosure at a zoo in Brazil. The victim has been identified as 19-year-old Gerson Machado, who had previously tried to stow away on a plane to Africa in a bid to pursue his dream of training big cats.
Tragic Machado was well-known to police after an earlier incident when he breached airport security in a desperate attempt to reach Africa. The teenager, who had spent years in care and struggled with mental health problems, was filmed climbing down a tree to reach the lioness after scaling a 20-foot wall in the northeastern port city of Joao Pessoa.
Horror video footage which Express.co.uk has opted not to publish captured the moment the lioness, later described by zoo veterinarians as “stressed” and “in shock,” attacked him as he neared the ground.
Veronica Oliveira, a child protection worker who worked with Mr Machado for eight years, said: “Gerson was a child who suffered violations of his rights. He was the son of a mother with schizophrenia, with grandparents who also had mental health issues. He lived in extreme poverty.”
Ms Oliveira explained that his mental health challenges meant he was the only one of his siblings not to be taken in by adoptive families. She recalled his ambitions in an agonising social media post: “You told me you were going to take a plane to go on safari to Africa to look after lions.
“I thanked God when I was warned by the airport that you had cut the fence and got inside the landing gear compartment of a Gol Airlines plane. I thanked God because they saw on the cameras that there was a teenager there before a tragedy happened. Gerson’s story is that of a boy who just wanted to get to know Africa to tame lions.”
“He discovered too late that a lion isn’t a domestic cat and that we can’t tame them without the right knowledge. Sadly, he wasn’t sensible enough for that.”
City police, who had arrested Machado several times for minor offences including criminal damage, confirmed that he had spoken of his Africa dream and said he would make the journey “on foot” after his airport security breach.
City hall officials confirmed that the Arruda Camara Park, also known as Bica, would remain closed while investigations continue. In a statement, they said: “The man killed scaled a 20-foot wall and managed to get into the animal enclosure using one of the trees.
“According to police it was a possible act of suicide. Although security staff tried to stop him, he acted very quickly and died as a result of the injuries the lioness inflicted on him. The park was immediately closed. We would like to express our solidarity with the family of the victim of this regrettable incident.”
The 26.8-hectare park, which opened in 1921, is home to over 580 animal species including elephants, monkeys, and birds, as well as a wide variety of plants.
Thiago Nery, a zoo veterinarian, said: “The lioness was contained without the use of tranquilliser darts or weapons. She obeyed and returned to her pen but it took some time because she was stressed and in shock.”
Brazilian politician Mr Matheus Laiola, who previously served as chief of police of the environmental protection department of Curitiba, commented online: “A lioness did exactly what a lioness does. Instinct, defence, natural behaviour of a wild animal. Tragedy and error begin when humans ignore basic safety limits, risk their own lives and also endanger the life of the animal.
“In Joao Pessoa, a man died yesterday after invading a lioness’s enclosure at Arruda Camara Park. According to the city council, he climbed a wall over six metres high, passed through the protective bars, used a tree for support and entered the cage. We stand in solidarity with the victim’s family.
“Respecting wildlife is not a choice. It is a rule. When this boundary is ignored, it is always the animal that suffers, and this cannot continue to happen. Who do you think was the ‘animal’ in this situation?”
Whatever you’re going through, you can call the Samaritans free at any time from any phone on 116 123. Lines are open 24 hours a day. You can also email jo@samaritans.org
