South Yorkshire Police have confirmed that a man sustained serious injuries after entering the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday, October 10. The tiger subsequently attacked the man, and the park was evacuated and closed.
Police statement confirms attack
In a statement issued this afternoon, South Yorkshire Police said: "At 1.35pm today (Saturday, October 10) we received reports of a man entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The tiger has subsequently attacked the man and this has resulted in serious injury."
The statement added: "Officers are working at pace to make contact with the man’s family and no further detail will be provided at this time. The tiger remained in the enclosure following the incident and there is no wider risk to the public."
Witnesses report shots and evacuation
Witnesses at the park reported seeing a man jump into the enclosure and being grabbed by one of the big cats. Some said they heard "five shots" of what some believed were gas canisters fired into the cage. Videos circulating online show a man sitting next to a tiger while being attacked.
Following the incident, the park was evacuated. Police remain on scene carrying out enquiries and have encouraged people not to share distressing footage circulating online.
Ambulance response and park closure
Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it was called at 1.33pm on Saturday afternoon, sending two land ambulances, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and a doctor to the scene.
One visitor described the scene: "People are saying they heard a gunshot and they say someone either jumped in, or fell in. There was an air ambulance and police everywhere. We’ve all been made to leave."
Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort confirmed a "serious incident" had occurred at the tiger enclosure. In a statement, it said: "Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and emergency services are currently attending the scene. We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened. The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority." The park is now closed and will remain closed tomorrow.
