The man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster has been identified as William Chapman. He is believed to have been in his early 20s. The incident took place on Saturday at the South Yorkshire park.
Witnesses describe attempts to stop him
Mr Chapman was described as vulnerable by police. Footage allegedly filmed by him from inside the enclosure shows him moving towards Altai, a five-year-old Amur tiger, as the animal rests on a wooden platform. In the clip, Mr Chapman can be heard breathing heavily while horrified members of the public plead with him to retreat, with one person shouting: "Seriously."
One eyewitness stated "you could see blood" and recalled witnessing the tiger "dragging the man" by his neck. Park rangers discharged warning shots in a bid to frighten the animal away before it withdrew and was secured. Emergency services arrived shortly after 1.30pm, but Mr Chapman was declared dead at the scene.
It has also come to light that a woman desperately tried to prevent Mr Chapman from accessing the enclosure moments before the fatal attack. Witness Anthony Hunt said the woman attempted to pull him back before Mr Chapman managed to break free. He told The Telegraph: "He overpowered her and jumped off. She seemed really frightened. We spoke to her after and she was like, 'I tried to pull him back' but I guess she didn't want to risk her own life as well."
Footage shows moments before the attack
Mr Hunt also revealed he had witnessed Mr Chapman "dancing erratically" upon arriving at the park earlier that day. It is believed Mr Chapman leapt from a viewing platform into the enclosure before the tiger set upon him. He had reportedly stopped to pose for a photograph with the animal visible in the background just moments prior to entering the enclosure.
A separate clip appears to show Mr Chapman on the ground mere feet from the tiger, gesturing towards the animal while moving his legs in its direction. Further footage captured Mr Chapman crying out "No, no, no!" and "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!" as the animal repeatedly lunged at him. Eyewitnesses have described the harrowing scenes that played out in front of families visiting the park.
Park remains shut as investigation continues
The wildlife park was evacuated in the wake of the attack, with screens put up around the scene. It remains shut while staff members affected by the incident receive specialist support. Yorkshire Wildlife Park has since confirmed that Altai is "safe and well" and will not be euthanised.
South Yorkshire Police previously confirmed that the tiger was unharmed and had remained inside its enclosure following the incident. The force 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."
Police have also appealed to members of the public not to share footage of the fatal attack after videos started circulating online. Yorkshire Wildlife Park remains shut today, Tuesday, October 13, as investigators continue to look into the circumstances surrounding Mr Chapman's death. The attraction's website indicates that the park is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, October 14, between 9.45am and 5pm, with the neighbouring Yorkshire Hive continuing to welcome visitors as normal.
The park's Land of the Tigers enclosure, which opened in 2011, is a specially constructed two-acre habitat designed exclusively for Amur tigers. The endangered subspecies ranks amongst the rarest big cats on the planet, with an estimated 500 thought to still be living in the wild.
