A teenager who had dreams of taming lions in Africa was killed by a lioness when he climbed into the animal’s enclosure in Brazil on Sunday.
The incident happened at Brazil’s Parque Zoobotanio Arruda Camara in the city of Joao Pessoa.
Cell phone video uploaded to social media shows 19-year-old Gerson de Melo Machado climb over a 20-foot chain link fence and shimmy down a tree into the lion’s enclosure.
Zoo visitors watched in horror as Gerson shimmied down the tree into the lion’s enclosure. The lioness ran over to the tree as he climbed down the tree.
The lioness grabbed Gerson in her jaws and dragged him to the ground. Gerson broke free and tried to run but the lioness pounced on him again.
The zoo is now closed until further notice while an investigation is underway.
Gerson had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was institutionalized as a child. He also spent time in prison, according to O Correio Braziliense.
Gerson previously tried to stow away in the landing gear of a plane flying from Brazil to Africa. He was heading to Africa to tame lions.
The zoo stated the lioness, named Leona, will not be euthanized. The lioness is being monitored because she experienced “a high level of stress,” the zoo wrote on Instagram.
“Leona is healthy, does not exhibit aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident, and will not be euthanized. The protocol in situations like this provides exactly what is being done: monitoring, behavioral assessment, and specialized care,” the statement continued.
CAUTION: The video below contains scenes that may be disturbing to some viewers.
A 19-year-old man was killed by a lioness in a zoo in João Pessoa, Brazil, after trespassing into her enclosure. The zoo has been closed while authorities investigate the incident. pic.twitter.com/jH9ijtEzJy
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 1, 2025
