The man killed by a tiger after entering its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park has been named as William Chapman. He was mauled to death by an Amur tiger at the park near Doncaster on Saturday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing Mr Chapman “pacing around” while wearing headphones shortly after 1.30pm, before entering the enclosure and being attacked. He is understood to have been visiting the park alone and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to South Yorkshire Police.
Investigation and response
A force spokesperson said his family had been informed and was being supported by specialist officers. The park was evacuated after the incident and remains closed on Tuesday as investigations continue.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said their “thoughts and heartfelt sympathies” were with the man's family and confirmed that the tiger, called Altai, will not be euthanised following the incident. City of Doncaster Council has also launched a health and safety investigation into the death, which a spokesperson said was “in line with our statutory duties”.
Eyewitness accounts and video
Eyewitnesses reported that Mr Chapman entered the enclosure after climbing down from a walkway, and that, despite attempts to distract the tiger, it attacked the man from its landing point. A video posted on social media, which has since been deleted, appeared to show the moments directly before the attack.
Seemingly filmed by Mr Chapman, the video showed him walking towards Altai, who was on a wooden platform in the enclosure. Visitors could be heard shouting in the background, urging Mr Chapman to get out.
Calls for review and police statement
A spokesperson for the Born Free Foundation, which campaigns to phase out zoos, called for an “urgent review” into “how the man managed to enter the enclosure and what happened next”.
South Yorkshire Police said: “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.”
