A Brazilian teenager was mauled by a lioness in full view of zoo visitors on Sunday, after scaling a six-meter wall and safety fencing and shimmying down a tree into the enclosure, authorities said.

The municipal government of the coastal city of Joao Pessoa said a young man — identified by Brazilian media as Gerson de Melo Machado, 19 — had "deliberately invaded the lioness's enclosure" at the Arruda Camara Zoobotanical Park.

"In a rapid and surprising manner, he climbed a wall over six meters high, scaled the security bars, accessed one of the trees, and entered the enclosure," the government said in a statement.

Viral videos of the attack showed the lioness, Leona, lying next to the glass separating her from visitors, who gasp in shock as the teen shimmies down a tree.

The lioness spots him and makes a beeline for the tree, pulling Machado down to the ground. Bushes are seen shaking, and the teen stands up one more time before disappearing from view.

"It got him. It got him," visitors can be heard saying, with exclamations of "my God!"

The government statement said Machado "died from injuries caused by the animal."

The zoo said in a statement on Instagram that the incident was "extremely sad" and that it was closed while investigations continue.

"We reiterate that the park follows rigorous technical standards and safety protocols, and we are fully cooperating with all responsible bodies to clarify the facts," the zoo said.

In a separate Instagram post, the park said that "euthanasia was never considered" for Leona, who "shows no aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident."

"The Bica team, veterinarians, handlers, and technicians are fully dedicated to Leona's well-being, ensuring that she recovers, stabilizes emotionally, and resumes her routine safely," the park said.

Park vet Thiago Nery defended safety standards around the lion enclosure, which he said has more than eight meters of protection.

"This incident was completely unforeseeable, outside any scenario within the park's routine," he said.

The government statement said initial investigations showed "the man's actions may have been a possible suicide attempt."

Child protection counselor Veronica Oliveira said in a video on Instagram that she had accompanied Machado for eight years as he "went through all the institutional care in this city."

She said his mother and grandparents suffered from schizophrenia, but state psychiatrists said he merely "had a behavioral problem."

"He should have been in treatment," she said.

In other media interviews, Oliveira said Machado had dreamed of being a lion tamer, and once cut through an airport fence and hid in the landing gear of a plane he thought was going to Africa.

"Society, without knowing your story, preferred to throw you into the lion's den," she said.

Fatal lion attacks at zoos are extremely rare, but this marks the second such incident in fewer than three months. In September, a zookeeper in Thailand was killed by lions after he stepped out of his vehicle at a safari park.

Last October, a group of lions mauled a zookeeper to death in Crimea after a door inside their enclosure was left unlocked.

In 2018, a lion escaped its enclosure and killed a recent college graduate at a North Carolina conservatory during a routine cleaning. Authorities were told the lion was able to enter the same space as 22-year-old Alex Black because a large ball prevented the lion's pen from closing.

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