Overview
- Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, died at the scene after scaling a wall of more than six meters, bypassing barriers and entering the lion habitat at Parque Zoobotánico Arruda Câmara.
- Visitor videos captured the intrusion and attack, and the zoo was closed immediately to secure the area and facilitate police and forensic work.
- Municipal authorities and the regional veterinary council (CRMV-PB) are conducting a technical review of infrastructure, security procedures and animal-welfare protocols.
- Caretakers contained the lioness without firearms or tranquilizers, and veterinarians report she is being monitored for stress with no plan for euthanasia.
- A forensic official cited fatal injuries to neck vessels as the cause of death, and reporting highlights the victim’s long-standing mental illness as central to the inquiry.