1.12.2025
A mentally challenged teenager who jumped into a lioness cage was torn to pieces in front of zoo visitors in Brazil on Sunday.
Gerson de Melo Machado,19, climbed a wall about 20 feet high to break into the big cat’s enclosure at Parque Zoobotânico Arruda Câmara in João Pessoa, Paraíba,
The state’s Civil Police forensics team did not rule out that his actions may have been suicidal as zoo security tried to stop him and climbed into the cage, but he was too fast for them.
According to reports Machado had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been in several institutions. He came from a family with a history of mental health issues and grew up in “extreme poverty.”
“Once the incident was confirmed, the park was immediately closed, following all safety protocols,” the zoo wrote. “The teams mobilized the competent authorities and provided the necessary support for the service and work of the experts.”