Overview
- Authorities say Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, deliberately scaled barriers over six meters high and climbed down a tree into the habitat before the lioness attacked.
- The park remains closed as municipal authorities and Civil Police conduct an active investigation that preliminarily cites a possible suicide attempt.
- The legal medical institute identified the victim by fingerprints and reported the cause of death as bleeding from injuries to neck vessels.
- Zoo officials say the lioness, Leona, will not be euthanized and is under behavioral monitoring for stress while staff cooperate with investigators.
- A child-welfare counselor reports Machado had longstanding mental-health issues, including a schizophrenia diagnosis, and once tried to reach Africa by hiding in an aircraft’s landing gear to work with lions.