Man mauled to death by lion after climbing into zoo enclosure

LOS ANGELES - The lioness who mauled a 19-year-old man to death after he deliberately climbed into its enclosure at a zoo in Brazil will not be euthanized, according to officials. 

What we know:

The incident occurred at the Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical park, known locally as Bica, in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, on Sunday morning, according to the Brazilian newspaper Correio Braziliense.

The victim, identified as Gerson de Melo Machado, scaled a roughly 26-foot-tall fence to enter the lioness' enclosure, park officials said.

The attack was witnessed by bystanders, and the incident was captured on video. The video showed the man climbing the fence and shimmying down a nearby tree, where the lioness waited for him before springing on him as he neared the ground.

Following the fatal mauling, the park was immediately closed to the public to allow for safety procedures and the removal of the body. 

The park will remain closed until the investigation and all official procedures are complete, according to a social media post.

The backstory:

Machado had a history of mental health issues and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. 

A child welfare counselor, Verônica Oliveira, who had monitored him since childhood, was cited by local media as stating that Machado had always dreamed of traveling to Africa to become a lion tamer. He was once caught hiding in the landing gear of a plane, reportedly believing it would take him to Africa.

What they're saying:

The zoo released a statement confirming the nature of the tragic event.

"This is an extremely sad episode for everyone, and we express our solidarity and condolences to the family and friends of the man," the zoo said. 

Regarding the fate of the animal, the zoo elaborated on its decision not to euthanize the lioness. 

"It is important to emphasize that euthanasia was never considered," the zoo said. "Leona is healthy, does not exhibit aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident, and will not be euthanized."

The zoo further emphasized that the killing resulted from deliberate trespassing, an incident that was "completely unpredictable" and "outside of any scenario within the park’s routine." 

The lioness is reportedly stressed but shows no signs of behavior that would warrant concern for euthanasia.