A man has been killed by a lion after entering a lockdown in Brazil – nationally
A 19-year-old man has died after entering a lion’s den at a zoo in Brazil.
In a statement on Instagram, the Arrova Câmara Zoobotanical Park said it “deeply regrets” that the visitor put up the gates and entered the animal’s enclosure, and that it “deliberately attacked” the pen.
The man, identified by several outlets in North America and Brazil as Gerson de Melo Machado, was mauled to death by a lioness on Sunday, Zoo said.
“As soon as the incident was reported, the park was immediately closed, following all safety protocols. Teams are receiving support that should continue to close while assuring visitors that they are committed to maintaining strict safety protocols.
“ArrADA Câmara Park expresses its solidarity with the family of the young man who died, deeply regrets it, and wishes them strength in this difficult time,” the press release concluded.
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The zoo added later in a separate post that the site, Leona, was doing well and would continue to receive the necessary care.
“After this incident, he was immediately examined by the technical team and remains under continuous observation and monitoring, as he received a high level of stress,” the park wrote.
It emphasized that self-defense was not an afterthought, as Leona is healthy and does not exhibit patterns of aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident.
“The protocol for situations like this is well-documented in practice: Monitoring, behavioral assessment, and special care,” what does special care mean, “says a statement that is part of making sure you get it again.
The authorities of the City of Joao Pessoa said in a statement that Machado “in a quick and surprising manner, climbed the wall more than six meters high, found the security barriers, entered the enclosure.”
Footage of the incident, which has been shared on social media, shows the man uprooting the tree inside the lion’s enclosure while Leona runs to the ground.
The lion stands down, looks at the man, then pulls him down from the tree and brings him to the ground. The man stood up briefly before being pulled into a tree, disappearing behind a wall.
A government statement said Machado “was killed as a result of injuries inflicted by an animal,” and that his actions indicated an attempt to kill himself. As of this writing, Machado’s intentions are unclear.
The lion’s enclosure is equipped with a fence more than eight meters high interference and technological reinforcement to protect the animals and visitors, said the Zoo.
“The incident was completely unexpected, without any condition within the park’s procedures,” read the Instagram post.
According to CBS News, Child Protection Counselor Veronica Oliveira said she had worked with Machado for eight years as she “went through all the institutional care in this home.”
He said his mother and grandparents were supportive, but that State psychiatrists said he had “a behavioral problem.”
“He should be getting treatment,” she said.
In other media interviews cited by US Outlet, Oliveira said that Machado wanted to be a lion and that he once broke into an airport and hid in the landing gear of a plane, believing that he was imprisoned in Africa.
“The public, without knowing your story, chose to throw you into the lion’s den,” he said.
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