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Teen mauled to death after climbing into lion enclosure at Brazil zoo, disturbing video surfaces
Video of the incident shows the man climbing over the fence before making his way down a nearby tree to enter the lioness’ enclosure.
A 19-year-old man was mauled to death by a lion after climbing into an enclosure at the Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park, also known as Bica, in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
Video footage of the incident shows the man climbing over a fence estimated to be about 26 feet high before making his way down a nearby tree to enter the lioness’ enclosure. The video captures him slowly manoeuvring down the trunk.
Meanwhile, the lion inside the enclosure notices the movement and walks towards the tree, waiting directly below as the young man continues his descent.
When he finally reaches close to the ground, the lion reacts instantly and leaps at him. Startled, the man tries to escape by running towards the bushes within the enclosure. However, the animal pursues him and attacks again. The incident took place on Sunday morning, as per a report by Fox News.
The victim has been identified as Gerson de Melo Machado, who reportedly had long aspired to become a lion tamer.
Machado had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and struggled with mental health issues throughout his life.
Reportedly, his mother had also been diagnosed with the condition. A child welfare counsellor monitoring Machado said he had once attempted to hide in an aircraft’s landing gear in an effort to reach Africa and pursue his dream of working with lions.
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The zoo confirmed the attack was the result of deliberate trespassing and stated the lion would not be euthanised, calling the incident “completely unpredictable” and outside the park’s routine. The facility has been closed to the public. The zoo expressed condolences to Machado’s family and friends following the tragic incident.
