A tragic incident unfolded at a Brazilian zoo where a lioness fatally attacked a 19-year-old man, but authorities have stated the animal will not face euthanasia, according to various media sources.

The event took place on November 30 at Parque Zoobotânica Arruda Câmara in João Pessoa, Brazil. The victim, Gerson de Melo Machado, who reportedly had a history of mental health issues, entered the lioness’s enclosure, as reported by Brazilian news outlet Correio Braziliense.

Disturbing footage shared on social media platform X captures the moment Machado scaled the enclosure’s wall and fence, before descending into the animal’s habitat using a nearby tree.

The situation escalated rapidly, leaving zoo staff unable to intervene in time, as families helplessly witnessed the harrowing scene from outside the enclosure.

Lying next to a small pool in the cage, footage shows the lion getting up and running toward the center of the enclosure where Machado was coming out of the tree. The 19-year-old pauses for just a moment, looking directly down at the animal, before he starts sliding down farther and the lion attacks, violently ripping him off the tree and onto the ground.  

Machado was able to get up from the onslaught and attempted to get away before the lion again pulled him down and out of sight.  

It’s unclear how old the female lion, named Leona, is, but in a post to Instagram, zoo officials said the animal has never displayed aggressive behavior outside of this incident and will not be euthanized. They added that while Leona is healthy, she endured extreme stress as a result of Machado’s entry into the closure and will remain under observation.  

The zoo was expected to remain closed while an investigation into the incident was completed.  

NBC News reported that Machado had a prior schizophrenia diagnosis and had been hospitalized on several occasions. The young man reportedly dreamed about being a lion tamer in Africa and once reportedly attempted to stowaway in the landing gear of a flight bound for the continent.