The family of a man killed in a tiger attack at a Yorkshire wildlife attraction have paid tribute to him. William Chapman's relatives revealed he had struggled with mental illness for several years and described him as "bright, warm and engaging".
What happened at the park
William, in his mid-20s, was mauled after entering the tiger's enclosure at around 1.30pm while visiting Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into Chapman's death and the attraction remains closed.
His family said in a statement released on Tuesday that William had suffered "significant mental illness" over a number of years and had been taking "strong medication", reports the Irish Mirror.
Family statement
"William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back," the statement read. They stated it was for the coroner to establish whether his mental health condition played a role in his death.
"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."
Footage and enclosure details
Video footage has emerged of William filming himself moments after entering the tiger enclosure. It shows him walking towards the animal, with heavy breathing heard throughout. He can be seen slowly moving towards a wooden structure where one of the tigers was lying. The Land of the Tigers exhibit is a specially-constructed, two-acre habitat built for Amur tigers - a critically endangered subspecies with approximately 500 left in the wild.
Images of the enclosure shown on the park's website reveal an elevated walkway for guests, alongside fencing surrounding the area where the tigers move about freely. Moments before the tragic incident, William, who had been by himself and dancing to music, had requested a fellow visitor to photograph him with the 200kg male Siberian tiger, Altai, in view behind him.
He then went on to climb into the enclosure while a woman frantically attempted to pull him back, before tumbling 12 feet to the ground below. Throughout the attack, the man could be heard repeatedly shouting "stop" and seemed to make the sign for 'bad' in Makaton - a communication system frequently used by people who find verbal communication difficult. The park was evacuated of visitors after the incident and has remained closed for three days since.
