A Brazilian teenager was mauled to death by a lioness in full view of zoo visitors after scaling a six-metre wall and safety fencing and shimmying down a tree into the enclosure, authorities said.
Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, struggled with severe mental health issues and dreamed of being a lion tamer, according to those who knew him.
The municipal government of the northeastern coastal city of Joao Pessoa said Machado had “deliberately invaded the lioness’s enclosure” at the Arruda Camara Zoobotanical Park on Sunday morning.
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Viral videos of the attack showed the lioness, Leona, lying next to the glass separating her from visitors, who gasped in shock as the teen climbed down a tree.
The lioness made a beeline for the tree, pulling Machado down to the ground. Bushes were seen shaking, and the teen stood up one more time before disappearing from view.
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