The Environment Secretariat (Sammam) has begun investigating the circumstances of the incident and is cooperating with the competent authorities.
A man died this Sunday (30) in Parque Arruda Camara, known as Bica, in João Pessoa, after he was attacked by a lioness. The attack occurred after the man arrived at the cat pen. This information was confirmed by the park to Cabo Branco TV.
João Pessoa City Council issued a memorandum. According to the statement, the man climbed a wall more than 6 meters high, crossed the security barriers, and used a tree as a support to invade the lioness’s area.
Park visitors recorded the scene on videos. The recordings show the man climbing a side structure of the cage and then using the tree to enter the place. Shortly after entering space, he was attacked by a lioness.
A man known as “Vaquerinho” died on Sunday (30) after breaking into a lioness’s enclosure in João Pessoa’s Zobotanical Park. Climb the structure and enter the animal space. The lioness attacked the man from the neck, which led to his death. The animal did not feed on the victim. pic.twitter.com/7qhUmXsWyD
– Aldo Almeida (@AldoAlmeida013) November 30, 2025
The Military Police (PM) and the Paraíba Scientific Police Institute (IPC) were called and were at the scene. According to TV Cabo Branco, the man was suffering from mental disorders.
Due to the incident, the zoo was closed and visits were suspended indefinitely. The reopening has not yet been forecast. The park was open and receiving visitors at the time of the invasion.
The animal in question, called Leona, is a lioness (tiger leo), an 18-year-old exotic animal, was born and raised in Parque Arruda Camara in 2007. The cat weighs 130 kg.
Thiago NeriThe zoo’s veterinarian confirmed that the cage strictly meets technical standards, according to CNN. He determined that the site had a negative edge of 1.5 metres, and that the required security measures exceeded more than 2 metres.
A zoo employee informed that the lioness is a conditional animal and undergoes annual training. The cat, even in shock, obeyed the team’s instructions and returned to its indoor environment without the need for tranquilizers or a firearm.
The Environment Secretariat (Sammam) has begun investigating the circumstances of the incident and is cooperating with the competent authorities.
The city council expressed its solidarity with the family, and explained that despite security measures and adherence to regulations, the man insisted on invading the area, which led to his death.