William Chapman, the man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, October 10, was a former child TV star, according to the BBC. Chapman died after entering the tiger enclosure at the park, with emergency services called shortly after 1.30pm. Police said he was visiting the park alone and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Former acting roles on BBC and ITV
Chapman appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films. He also portrayed Edward Jenner as a young boy in the BBC series True Stories, according to the BBC and backed up by IMDB.
Chapman, reportedly in his 20s, apparently filmed the moment he approached the animal, according to footage posted on an Instagram account that has since been deleted. The short clip shows the large tiger lying on a wooden platform a few metres in front of the camera, with audio capturing heavy breathing and distant voices shouting "Oh my God" and "seriously".
Park closure and tiger's welfare
The park was evacuated and closed following the incident and will remain closed on Wednesday, October 14, for the fifth day. Videos circulating online appeared to show Chapman being pawed at and grappled by Altai, the Amur tiger involved.
In another clip, a voice appearing to be Chapman asks people to take a photo of him with the tiger minutes before the incident. In a previous statement, the wildlife park said "many, many people" had contacted them about Altai and confirmed he is "safe and well" and will not be euthanised. Park staff were "deeply affected" by the incident and are receiving specialist support.
