Those who worked with Gerson de Melo Machado describe a troubled childhood, a fixation on lions, and a tragedy that unfolded in seconds.
JOAO PESSOA, Brazil — Neighbors and social workers on Monday left flowers at the shuttered gates of the Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park for Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, who died Sunday after climbing into a lioness enclosure during public hours, city officials said.
Machado’s death ignited grief and hard questions in João Pessoa. Social workers who knew him said he spent years in state care and struggled with mental health issues while nursing a dream of working with big cats. Video recorded by visitors shows him scaling a high wall, slipping past security bars and entering the habitat by a tree before the lioness seized him. The zoo closed immediately and said the animal, monitored for stress, will not be euthanized. Authorities have not announced a motive and said it is unknown why the teen entered the enclosure.
Verônica Oliveira, a child-protection worker who had known Machado for years, said the young man vacillated between fascination and risk. “He talked about lions constantly,” Oliveira said, recalling earlier interventions, including one episode when he tried to reach Africa. Friends said he sometimes disappeared from shelters and returned days later. Those who saw Sunday’s incident described a brief chase: the teen sliding down a trunk, the lioness approaching low to the ground, and then both vanishing behind rocks. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Family acquaintances said Machado grew up in poverty and bounced through institutions. Records cited by local officials describe behavior that intensified in adolescence. A city statement said the enclosure met national standards and staff moved toward the habitat once the breach was spotted, but the interval between the descent and the attack was measured in seconds. Veterinarians said the lioness, named Leona, displayed signs of stress after the fatal encounter but later ate and rested normally. The park’s care logs and security posts are part of the investigation.
Founded more than a century ago, the Bica park is a weekend landmark for families who walk shaded paths and visit small primate and bird exhibits. Residents said they had never seen a deadly episode inside the grounds. Trespass cases at big-cat habitats are uncommon but often catastrophic; in incidents overseas, responders rarely have time to deploy tranquilizers. Conservation educators said the João Pessoa park uses naturalistic design that hides heavy barriers behind rockwork and trees—a benefit for animal welfare that can be exploited by determined intruders.
Officials said forensic teams are combing witness video and photographing the approach route. Prosecutors requested records from city social services to understand any earlier interventions involving Machado. The zoo remains closed without a set reopening date. A report with recommended changes—if any—will be released after veterinary and engineering reviews. No staff suspensions were announced, and the city emphasized there is no indication of equipment malfunction.
Outside the gates, a fruit seller who heard the screams said he watched parents hug their children and hurry away. A university student who volunteers with animal rescues called the scene “surreal.” “Everyone froze when he went over,” she said. “It was so fast.” Oliveira, the child-protection worker, said she hopes the final