Zoos give visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at animals they may not normally see. They live in structures built to keep both the animals and people safe. We rarely hear stories about animals escaping from their enclosures, but from time to time, a human will breach a structure’s safety protocols to get closer to an animal. Sadly, that curiosity can have fatal consequences. Gerson de Melo Machado, a 19-year-old from Brazil, learned that lesson the hard way.
A video uploaded to X shows Machado climbing the fence outside the lioness habitat at Arruda Camara Zoobotanical Park in Brazil. Once Machado gets over the fence, the person filming runs to another part of the exhibit to keep getting footage. The teenager lowers himself from a tree to the ground. Once the lioness sees him, it’s the beginning of the end.
O cara inventou de invadir a jaula do leão, na Bica, em João Pessoa. Não deve ter escapado. pic.twitter.com/Sl2u4w36cA
— Caolho (@CPreparado) November 30, 2025
According to a statement from the municipal government of Joao Pesso obtained by CBS News, Machado “deliberately invaded the lioness’s enclosure.” The zoo confirmed the incident in an Instagram post.
“The teams mobilized the competent authorities and provided the necessary support for the service and work of the expertise,” the statement from Bica explains.
“We reiterate that the park follows strict technical norms and safety standards, and we are cooperating fully with all responsible authorities in clarifying the facts,” it added.
In a second post, Bica made it clear that the lioness, Leona, did nothing wrong given that Machado invaded her space.
“It is important to reiterate that euthanasia was never considered. Leona is healthy, does not show aggressive behavior out of the context of the incident and will not be sacrificed,” the post explains. “The protocol in situations like this provides exactly what is being done: monitoring, behavioral evaluation and specialized care.”
Child protection counselor Veronica Oliveira said she worked with Machado, who allegedly “went through all the institutional care in this city,” per CBS News. She added that several family members lived with schizophrenia, but doctors claimed he “had a behavioral problem.”
Machado reportedly loved lions and dreamed of working with them professionally one day. Tragically, that day will never come.
