Disturbing video shows a lioness resting peacefully near zoo visitors before suddenly racing away and launching a fatal attack on a 19-year-old who intentionally breached the walls of her enclosure.
Gerson de Melo Machado was 19 when he entered the lioness enclosure at Parque Zoobotânico Arruda Câmara in João Pessoa, Brazil, on Nov. 30, 2025.
According to footage recorded by another visitor and posted on X, the teenager made his way into the enclosure about 30 feet below, sliding down the trunk of a tree that ran alongside the wall and into the lioness’s territory.
Leona, an apex predator, can be seen calmly resting by the glass and enjoying the attention of zoo guests on the other side when Machado’s descent captures her attention.
The lioness suddenly jumps up and races away, disappearing behind thick vegetation before emerging below Machado and staring up at the teenager as he continues sliding toward the ground.
Within seconds, she is beneath him, watching him closely.
As Machado gets lower, Leona reaches up with her powerful front paws and grabs him before pulling him down. The teenager struggles to get away, but the attack quickly carries them out of sight behind the vegetation.
Machado did not survive.
Veterinarian Thiago Nery later said the lioness did not eat Machado during the attack and did not need to be immobilized with tranquilizer darts afterward.
Mind of a 5-year-old
The ecological sanctuary, also known as Bica Park, confirmed Machado’s death in a statement following the attack and temporarily closed its doors while authorities investigated the incident.
But as details about the teenager emerged, the circumstances that brought him into Leona’s enclosure became considerably more complicated.
Verônica Oliveira, a child welfare counselor from Paraíba who had known Machado, said the teenager had schizophrenia and had been institutionalized several times.
“He was 19 years old, but when he spoke, I believe his cognitive ability was no more than that of a 5-year-old,” she told Correio Braziliense.
Wanted to be a lion tamer
As Machado moved through institutions over the years, Oliveira said his struggles also led to repeated run-ins with the law, including arrests for theft dating back to childhood.
There had also been an extraordinary warning sign of his fascination with lions long before he entered the zoo enclosure.
According to Oliveira, Machado once managed to sneak into the landing gear of an aircraft, that he believed was heading for Africa, because of his dream of taming lions. He was discovered before the flight departed and referred to Child Protective Services.
“He had immense fragility in his mental health. If he had had regular and serious follow-up care, we wouldn’t be experiencing this,” the counselor said, adding that the teenager had repeatedly been failed by the systems surrounding him.
“[Machado] is the result of a system that always excluded him,” Oliveira said.
“I hope the lesson remains and that the countless Gersons we care for every day have a happier ending. My feeling is one of total powerlessness, and this feeling causes enormous pain in my soul.”
His death left the zoo confronting two very different consequences of the same tragedy: a vulnerable teen had lost his life, while the lioness whose territory he breached was now facing anger for reacting to the intrusion.
‘Shaken the entire team’
As calls emerged for Leona to be killed, Bica Park pushed back against criticism directed at the animal and the people responsible for her care.
“The tragedy at Bica Park has shaken the entire team that has dedicated years of care and love to the park’s animals. People who know Leona deeply and now face fear, sadness, and even unfair hostility,” the zoo said in a statement on Dec. 2.
At the same time, officials stressed that defending Leona did not diminish the loss of Machado.
“We also need to acknowledge the deeper pain of this moment: the loss of a 19-year-old with mental health issues, whose family never imagined experiencing such trauma. A life has been lost, and this hurts us all.”
But on one question, the zoo left no room for uncertainty.
Leona would live.
‘Euthanasia was never considered’
In a separate statement, officials said the lioness had been examined immediately after the attack and was being closely watched after experiencing considerable stress.
“[Leona] was immediately evaluated by the technical team and remains under continuous observation and monitoring, as she experienced a high level of stress,” the zoo wrote. “It is important to emphasize that euthanasia was never considered.”
“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,” Bica Park added.
For zoo officials, Leona had not escaped, hunted down a visitor or displayed aggression outside her enclosure. A person had deliberately entered her territory, and the animal reacted.
We are so happy to learn the park didn’t consider euthanizing Leona! Please let us know what you think and then share this story so we can hear from others.
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