Visitors at Yorkshire Wildlife Park desperately tried to distract a tiger as it lunged at and fatally mauled a man who had entered its enclosure. Emergency services were called to the park near Doncaster at around 1.35pm on Saturday after the man was attacked. He was pronounced dead at the scene, South Yorkshire Police said.
Witnesses describe the attack
Distressing videos circulating online appear to show the tiger grappling with the man as he repeatedly shouts "no" and "stop". Witnesses can be heard shouting in an attempt to distract the animal, with one visitor yelling "hey" in a desperate bid to draw its attention away from the man.
Witnesses said they then heard rangers firing warning shots to scare the tiger away. The animal was not injured and remained inside its enclosure following the incident, police said. The victim's family have been informed and are receiving support from specialist officers.
Park evacuated after incident
Midwife Amy Wright, 36, was visiting the park with her husband and two children, aged six and three, when the tragedy unfolded. She told The Sun: "Someone who saw it said it had him by the neck. There was a lot of blood. People were shouting to try and distract it. We heard the gunshots. There were two, one after the other in quick succession. We headed for the exit but to get there you have to pass the tigers' enclosure."
The park was evacuated shortly after the attack, with the zoo later confirming it would remain closed on Sunday.
Police statement and background
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "At 1.35pm today (Saturday October 10) we received reports of a man entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The tiger subsequently attacked the man, resulting in serious injury. Emergency services attended and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The man's family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time. Regarding rumours surrounding the condition of the tiger, the animal was uninjured and remained in the enclosure following the incident and there is no wider risk to the public."
The force said it was aware of footage of the attack circulating online and urged people not to share it. A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesperson said two land ambulances, a Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew and a doctor attended the scene.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, with its Land of the Tigers attraction launching two years later. The purpose-built two-acre reserve is home to Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with only around 500 believed to remain in the wild. They are native to the birch forests of eastern Russia.
