A man who was fatally attacked by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday afternoon (October 10) filmed himself moments after jumping into the tiger enclosure. The chilling video shows him walking up to the tiger, with heavy breathing audible in the footage.
The video, which emerged on Tuesday, includes sounds from stunned witnesses expressing their shock at the events. In the background, shocked onlookers can be heard shouting "oh my god" and "seriously". The victim uploaded the video online and moments later was pinned to the ground by Altai.
Events leading up to the attack
Moments before, the man, who was alone and dancing to music, had asked a parkgoer to take a picture of him with the 200kg male Siberian tiger, Altai, in the background. He then began climbing into the enclosure as a woman desperately tried to hold him back, before dropping 12 feet to the floor.
In another video captured by those still on the viewing platform, the victim can be heard yelling "no, no, no" and "stop, stop, stop, stop, stop" as the tiger circled him and then lunged for his neck. He also appeared to make a gesture for 'bad' in Makaton – a sign language system generally used by individuals who struggle to communicate.
Aftermath and response
Distressing footage of the attack was uploaded to social media and showed the tiger pawing at and toying with the man. Parkgoers said they then saw it jump onto the man's neck. Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which remains closed, confirmed that Altai will not be euthanised following the incident.
One person to give their view on the incident was Tiger King star Carole Baskin, who shot to fame thanks to the 2020 Netflix documentary. She said: "We don't yet know all the circumstances that led to this man's death, and it would be wrong to speculate. What we do know is that a tiger is a powerful wild predator, and no amount of captivity, training, or familiarity can change that.
"My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the man who lost his life today at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. No family should have to endure such a devastating loss, and my thoughts are also with those who witnessed this tragedy. Tragedies like this remind us why that work matters. My hope is that this terrible loss will lead to meaningful reflection about our relationship with wild animals, and a future where both people and tigers are safer because we have chosen to protect wild cats where they belong: in the wild."
