A lioness named Leona, that killed a 19-year-old man after climbing into the wild animal’s enclosure at a Brazilian zoo in front of visitors, will not be euthanized according to multiple zoo officials.
On November 30, the Parque da Bica reported a heartbreaking incident involving Gerson de Melo Machado, the young man who reportedly had a history of mental illness. For unknown reasons, Machado climbed into the enclosure at Parque Aoobotanica Arruda Camara in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, according to Correio Braziliense.
A report from NBC News, stated Machado had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and hospitalized repeated times. He reportedly had dreamed of becoming a lion tamer in Africa, and at one time had tried to stow away on an aircraft headed for the continent.
The disturbing incident, which occurred as zoo visitors watched in horror, showed Machado climbing over the wall and fence of the lion’s cage and then lowering himself down a tree towards the ground.
Before zoo guards and employees could even act, the lioness got up from her nap and rushed over to the center of her enclosure as Machado descended from the tree. He paused for a moment, looked directly at the lion and lowered himself almost to the ground where the lion attacked.
Machado was able to get up from the first attack and tried to run away, but the lion pulled the man down again.
Zoo officials have claimed Leona has never demonstrated any aggressive behavior before. She did stress out from the incident and is being carefully monitored.
All safety regulations at the zoo have been carefully followed:
Bica has always followed rigorous safety standards in its enclosures.
The lioness’s enclosure is over 8 meters high, with reinforced fences and all the technical barriers designed to ensure the protection of the animals and visitors. The incident was completely unpredictable, outside of any scenario within the park’s routine.
Check out the video:
The zoo had been expected to remain closed while an investigation continued.
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