A man who was mauled to death by a tiger at a zoo appeared to use a sign for help while in the enclosure. During the attack, the man appeared to make a fist and wag his little finger, which some believe resembled the gesture for 'bad' in Makaton, a sign language system used to help people express themselves.
It is believed the man entered the enclosure yesterday at Yorkshire Wildlife Park after jumping from a viewing platform atop the five-metre high fences. Once inside, he was attacked by the tiger Atai, an endangered Siberian tiger, and sustained fatal injuries.
Witness accounts of the incident
Witness testimony suggested the man had asked a stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background moments before jumping into the two-acre reserve. Another said he appeared to dance with earphones into “psyche himself up” on a bridge next to the enclosure before going inside.
Two ambulances, a doctor and an air ambulance were sent to the park after being alerted at 1.33pm, but despite the best efforts of medical professionals, the man was tragically pronounced dead on Saturday. A black tarpaulin was erected at the enclosure.
Zookeepers' response
Zookeepers were said to have done "everything they could" to scare away Altai, firing loud acoustic guns to make him retreat. The tiger was uninjured. Witness claimed they saw distraught zookeepers sitting on the floor near police officers after the incident, with one holding her head in her hands.
One witness said a woman tried to pull the man back onto the viewing bridge above the enclosure, but "wasn't strong enough". They said he pulled away, climbed down, and jumped "about 12ft" into the pen.
Park remains closed
"But then the young man started yelling at the tiger and waving his finger at him, yelling 'no', and the tiger grabbed him by the neck. It all happened very fast," they added.
The zoo has confirmed that the tiger will not be euthanised, quelling online speculation. The park has remained closed today as investigations are under way.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said: "Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and emergency services are currently attending the scene. The park will be closed today whilst we are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened. The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority."
