Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, died from hemorrhage due to neck vessel lesions after a lioness attack at a zoo in João Pessoa, Paraíba. The state's Institute of Forensic Science released the preliminary report on Tuesday (2), with a complementary toxicological exam pending. The incident underscores Gerson's vulnerability, marked by intellectual disabilities and a history of mental disorders.
Gerson de Melo Machado, 19, was attacked by a lioness at the Parque Zoobotânico Arruda Câmara in João Pessoa on Sunday (November 30, 2025). He invaded the enclosure by climbing a wall over six meters high, passing security bars, and hanging from a tree to reach the inner area. Visitor footage captured the moment the animal attacked his legs while he was in the tree, but the preliminary report from the Paraíba Institute of Forensic Science (IPC) indicates fatal wounds to the neck, causing hemorrhage from vessel lesions.
The body showed claw and bite marks, but the lioness did not ingest parts of the victim. The full report is not yet complete, and a toxicological exam is due in up to 45 days. The burial took place Monday afternoon (December 1) at Cemitério do Cristo in João Pessoa.
Gerson had an intellectual disability, mental disorders, and a history of vulnerability since childhood. Intermittently followed by child welfare for nearly a decade, he frequently spoke of 'caring for lions in Africa,' according to professionals. Child welfare counselor Verônica Oliveira described him as an 'affectionate child, passionate about animals,' but a target of ill-intentioned people. In 2017, at age 10, he was found alone on a highway by the Federal Highway Police and taken to the Mangabeira council. He often ran away, stole horses to ride through the streets – earning the ironic nickname 'vaqueirinho' – and at 12, crossed the city on a donkey to the Estação Ciência.
Son of a schizophrenic mother, Gerson was the only one of five siblings not adopted and was placed in an institution at age 4 in Pedras de Fogo. He was suspected of having a similar condition to his mother, but diagnosis was challenging; a psychiatric report for intellectual development disorder was denied by the courts. After turning 18, he accumulated 16 arrests for thefts, influenced by local criminals. Social media videos of him made him a target for mockery.
At the wake, Father José Carlos Serafini compared him to 'João Grilo from Ariano Suassuna, with wild ideas.' In 2023, he tried to access an airplane's landing gear at João Pessoa airport. The lioness, the zoo's only one managed by the Municipal Environment Secretariat (Semam), became stressed but responded to handlers without sedatives and will not be euthanized. The park remains closed for investigations involving Semam, Civil Police, Ibama, Sudema, municipal guard, and state veterinary council. In a statement, the park called the episode an 'absolutely unpredictable incident' and stressed transparency.
Counselors like Patrícia Falcão warn that the case exposes the abandonment of youth with mental disorders due to lack of specialized care: 'We don't want his death to be in vain. There are many Gersons needing this support.'