New details have emerged about the moments before a man was killed by a tiger at a UK wildlife park, with a witness describing how he appeared to bow and pray towards the animal before the fatal attack.
William Chapman, 23, died after entering the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, on Saturday afternoon.
Witness describes the attack
Scarlet Hogan, who was visiting the attraction with her boyfriend Anthony Hunt, described the disturbing scenes she witnessed after Mr Chapman entered the enclosure. She told The Telegraph: "The man started praying to the tiger, bowing down to it – the tiger looked a bit confused."
Ms Hogan said Mr Chapman appeared detached from what was happening around him as the terrifying incident unfolded. She added: "Up until he got attacked, it was like he was in a trance, not in reality at all."
According to the witnesses, a woman had desperately attempted to stop Mr Chapman from entering the compound. Mr Hunt said the woman, who was with two children, tried to pull him back before he overpowered her and jumped from a bridge into the tiger enclosure.
Emergency response
Ms Hogan described how Mr Chapman then opened his arms as the tiger approached. She said: "He had arms wide open ready for the tiger to attack him. It was quite bad. We were just stood there, frozen... the last thing we saw was the tiger’s jaw on his neck."
Witnesses described shots being fired in an apparent attempt to distract the animal and allow emergency crews to reach Mr Chapman. Emergency services were contacted shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday, October 10, after Mr Chapman entered the enclosure. Despite the emergency response, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Footage apparently posted to Mr Chapman's now-deleted Instagram account in the moments before the attack also appears to show him approaching Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident. The animal can be seen lying on a wooden platform several metres in front of the camera while the person filming can be heard breathing heavily. Voices can also be heard reacting in alarm in the background.
Family tribute and investigation
South Yorkshire Police previously confirmed Mr Chapman was believed to have been visiting the wildlife park alone. His family have since paid tribute to him and revealed he had suffered from mental illness for a number of years. In a statement, they said: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.
"Sadly, William suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication. It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process."
The family also appealed for people to stop circulating distressing footage and other material relating to the attack online. They said they hoped the authorities would "get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did".
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has remained closed following the tragedy, while City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the attraction, has launched a health and safety investigation. Dan Swaine, executive director of place at the council, said: "As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation.
"We are also working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in response to the incident."
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has confirmed Altai is "safe and well" and will not be euthanised as a result of the attack.
