William Chapman has been named as the man who died after being attacked by an endangered Amur tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday. The tiger, named Altai, grabbed him by the neck after he jumped into the enclosure, according to witness testimony.
Witnesses describe moments before attack
Ella Ford, 24, from Moreton, Wirral, was visiting the park with her boyfriend and filmed the tiger moments before the attack. Speaking to the BBC, she described seeing a man by the tiger enclosure "pacing around with his headphones in". A few minutes later, she saw the same man had "climbed up onto the barriers".
Another witness said he appeared to dance with earphones in to "psyche himself up" on a bridge next to the enclosure before going inside. Witness testimony suggested he jumped from a viewing platform atop five-metre fences surrounding the enclosure.
Witnesses report yelling and grab
One witness said a woman tried to pull him back onto the viewing bridge, but "wasn't strong enough". They said he pulled away, climbed down, and jumped "about 12ft" into the pen.
"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. Zoogoers claimed the man had asked a stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background before jumping into the reserve.
Emergency response and park closure
A video posted on Mr Chapman's social media appears to show him walking towards Altai inside the enclosure. He is breathing heavily as he makes the approach, with shocked onlookers heard saying "oh my god".
Two ambulances, a doctor and an air ambulance were sent to the park after being alerted at 1.33pm on Saturday, but despite best efforts, Mr Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene. A black tarpaulin was erected at the enclosure.
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 and the zoo confirmed the animal will not be euthanised.
The park remains closed for a fourth day as authorities investigate the incident. A park statement said: "Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and emergency services attended the scene. The park will be closed today whilst we are working closely with the authorities. The Yorkshire Hive will remain open as usual. The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority."
