Died from excessive bleeding after being attacked in the neck by the lioness
Zoo states, "Tragic accident, euthanasia not being considered"
A tragic incident occurred in Brazil when a teenage boy crossed a safety fence and entered a lion enclosure, where he was attacked and killed by a lioness. On December 1 (local time), international media outlets including AFP reported that a teenage boy named Gerson recently intruded into a lion enclosure at a zoo in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, and was fatally attacked by a lioness.
AFP news agency reported that a Brazilian teenage boy died after intruding into a lion's enclosure at a zoo and being attacked by a lioness. Photo by X
According to reports, Gerson climbed over a 6-meter-high safety fence and entered the enclosure by climbing a tree. At the time, the lioness was lying next to a glass wall, but upon noticing Machado climbing down the tree after crossing the fence, she immediately ran over and dragged him to the ground. After falling into the bushes, Gerson tried to get up but collapsed under the lioness’s attack. In videos that spread on social media, visitors can be heard exclaiming, "Oh my God," and "The lion bit him." Some footage reportedly shows zoo staff using fire extinguishers to scare the lioness and separate her from Gerson.
After the incident, authorities in Joao Pessoa closed the zoo to recover Gerson’s body. An autopsy revealed that Gerson died from excessive bleeding after being attacked in the neck by the lioness. Gerson’s mother stated that her son suffered from schizophrenia. She lamented, "My son did not receive proper protection from society and had been in and out of juvenile detention centers and prisons 16 times." A child protection counselor who worked with Gerson said, "In the past, Gerson once broke through an airport fence and hid, saying he would go to Africa to become a lion trainer," adding, "He had the intelligence of about a five-year-old."
In a statement, the zoo expressed condolences to the victim’s family but clarified, "We regret that this incident was caused by an illegal intrusion, despite having security measures in place that meet technical standards." In follow-up reports, the lioness, named Leona, appeared to be highly stressed and shocked immediately after the incident, but the attending veterinarian announced that she returned to her enclosure in good health without any issues. The zoo added that Leona had not shown any aggressive behavior prior to this incident and that euthanasia is not being considered. A team of veterinarians and other experts plans to focus on helping Leona regain emotional stability and return to her routine.
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