A 19-year-old man has died after being mauled by a lioness at a zoo in João Pessoa, Brazil, in an incident that has prompted renewed scrutiny of visitor safety and the risks of unauthorised access to animal enclosures. The victim, identified as Gerson de Melo Machado, entered the enclosure in full view of visitors on Sunday morning.
According to officials, Machado scaled a wall of around six metres, bypassed security fencing and climbed down into the enclosure using a tree. The lioness, named Leona, attacked almost immediately. Emergency responders arrived within minutes, but Machado's injuries were fatal and he died at the scene.
