Man Killed by Lion After Breaking Into Zoo Enclosure

By Alia Shoaib

News Reporter

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A man was killed by a lion after climbing a wall and entering its enclosure at a zoo in Brazil on Sunday, an incident that was captured in a video that has circulated on social media.

Why It Matters

The incident underscores the importance of clear animal-safety protocols and the challenges facilities face when unexpected human behavior puts both visitors and animals at risk.

In January, F. Iriskulov was killed by lions at a zoo in Uzbekistan after entering their pen to film a video. Last year, a man was killed by a lion after entering its enclosure, apparently to take a selfie, at a zoo in Tirupati, India

What To Know

Authorities in the eastern city of João Pessoa confirmed in a statement cited by local outlets that a man was killed by a lioness at the Arruda Câmara Zoo Botanical Park, known as Bica.

Local news outlets identified the man as 19-year-old Gerson de Melo Machado.

A video shared on social media shows the man scaling the lion enclosure while horrified onlookers call on him to stop.

In the video, he can be seen sliding down a tree before the waiting lion grabs him by the mouth and drags him out of view.

Authorities said he had climbed a wall of more than 6 meters, or just under 20 feet, and climbed down a tree into the enclosure.

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Brazil’s Environment Secretariat (Semam) is continuing to investigate the incident.

The park has been closed following the incident.

Local outlets reported comments from a child protection worker Veronica Oliveira, who had worked with Machado for eight years, and said he had a troubled upbringing and needed support for his mental health.

She said that Machado had dreamed of going to Africa to see lions, even once attempting to stow away in the landing gear of a plane before being stopped by airport staff.

The zoo said in a statement that the lion will not be euthanized and that it was at no point considered.

They said that the lion experienced a high level of stress due to the incident and is receiving specialized care and monitoring. They noted that the animal is healthy and has never exhibited aggressive behavior outside of the incident.

What People Are Saying

João Pessoa City Hall said in a statement: “The city hall expresses its condolences to the victim's family and clarifies that, despite all the existing security measures, which meet technical standards, the man persisted in trespassing, culminating in this regrettable episode.”

Brazilian politician Matheus Laiola said in a post on X: “A lioness did exactly what a lioness does. Instinct, defense, natural behavior of a wild animal,” adding: “The blame is never on the animal. We need to reinforce respect and awareness when dealing with wildlife.”