Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, was killed by a lioness after invading the enclosure at a zoo in João Pessoa, Paraíba, on Sunday (November 30). The youth, known as 'Vaqueirinho', had untreated mental health issues and a persistent dream of caring for lions in Africa. His death highlights a life marked by family abandonment and extreme vulnerability.
Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, nicknamed 'Vaqueirinho', invaded a lioness enclosure at Parque Arruda Câmara, known as Bica, in João Pessoa, Paraíba, on Sunday afternoon (November 30). According to João Pessoa's city hall, he scaled a wall over 6 meters high, passed security bars, and used a tree for support to enter the animal's space, where he was fatally attacked. The zoo, open to the public at the time, was immediately closed, with visits suspended and no reopening date set. The Military Police and Paraíba's Institute of Forensic Police Science (IPC) were called for procedures.
Delegate Josenice de Andrade Francisco reported that Gerson had 16 police records, mainly for damages and petty thefts, and showed visible mental disorders. Last week, during a detention at the Central de Flagrantes, there was a request for psychiatric internment, but 'I believe the request was not even considered,' she said. Child protection counselor Verônica Oliveira, who followed him for eight years from age 10, described a path of extreme poverty and abandonment. Son of a schizophrenic mother who lost custody and grandparents with mental issues, Gerson was found alone on a highway by the Federal Highway Police (PRF) at 10 and entered the child protection network. Unlike his siblings, he was not adopted due to possible disorders, officially recognized only in the socio-educational system.
Verônica recounted that Gerson repeatedly dreamed of going to Africa to 'tame lions' or 'care for lions,' even attempting to board a Gol airplane clandestinely by cutting a fence and entering the landing gear. 'You told me you were going to take a plane to go on a safari in Africa to care for the lions. You even tried, but I thanked God when the airport warned me,' she wrote in a post that went viral on social media, moving users. The counselor lamented: 'His story is that of a boy who just wanted to go to Africa to tame lions. He realized too late that the lioness was not a cat.' The city hall expressed solidarity with the family and started an investigation, reaffirming that the zoo follows safety standards.
