A young man was fatally mauled by a lion at teh Belo Horizonte zoo in Brazil on Saturday after entering the enclosure, authorities said. The victim, identified as 19-year-old Ricardo Machado, reportedly climbed a barrier and jumped into the lioness’s habitat.The incident has sparked an investigation into how Machado breached security and raised questions about the zoo’s safety protocols. While the lioness, named Leona, was initially considered for euthanasia, zoo officials announced via instagram that she will not be put down, as she is healthy and showed no prior aggressive tendencies outside of this event. The zoo will closely monitor Leona for signs of stress following the traumatic encounter.
Machado had a history of mental health challenges, including a schizophrenia diagnosis and multiple prior hospitalizations, according too his child welfare counselor, verônica Oliveira, who spoke wiht Correio Braziliense. oliveira revealed Machado harbored a lifelong dream of working with lions on an African safari and once attempted to stow away on a plane in hopes of reaching the continent.
The zoo stated Leona is currently under evaluation.The investigation is ongoing.
