THE young Chilean man who jumped into a lion’s cage reportedly left drawings and letters claiming he was a divine ‘prophet’ protected by Jesus Christ.
The 20-year-old man, Franco Luis Ferrada Roman, was left gravely injured but survived after jumping inside the cage at the Metropolitan Zoo in the Chilean capital of Santiago.
However a male and female lion were shot dead by security guards as they mauled the man, in front of horrified visitors.
Now the letters and drawings Ferrada Roman left behind have been published, leading experts to think that he could have a ‘mystic messianic delusion’, and that rather than trying to commit suicide he was trying to create a miracle in front of zoo-goers, believing himself divine.
The note said: “Angel of mine, protect me from the enemy.
“I have the power to do what I want.
“The devil is scared of me; I will lock him up back where he never should have come out of.”
The letter also reportedly went on to describe how the ‘apocalypse had arrived’ and was accompanied by drawings mentioning him as Jesus as well as sketches of lions.
Dr Italo Sigala, a psychiatrist for the local medical service’s legal department, explained that his behaviour was most likely due to ‘a psychotic episode and a mystic messianic delusion’.
Dr Sigala said: “He was convinced that he was talking to the lions and due to his divine power they would not hurt him.
