A man died after being mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on October 10, 2026. The incident took place at around 1.30pm in the 'Land of the Tigers' section of the zoo, in front of families with children. Police and paramedics rushed to the scene, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Entry into the enclosure
The tiger's enclosure was surrounded by a five-metre-high fence, with a viewing platform on one corner. Witnesses said the man leapt in from the platform, which had only a one-metre-high barrier. A visitor said she had been watching the victim 20 minutes before the tragedy. "The man who I saw on the bridge with his EarPods in dancing was happily enjoying seeing the tiger," she said. "I'm not sure if he was with a carer or family member but I honestly do think he just wanted to play with the tiger."
Mauling and last words
Onlookers cried out in a bid to distract the animal, with one guest bellowing "hey" in a frantic attempt to pull its focus away from the casualty. Midwife Amy Wright, 36, was at the park with her husband and two children, aged six and three, when the horror occurred. She told The Sun: "Someone who saw it said it had him by the neck. There was a lot of blood. People were shouting to try and distract it. We heard the gunshots. There were two, one after the other in quick succession. We headed for the exit but to get there you have to pass the tigers' enclosure."
Harrowing footage on social media appears to capture the tiger wrestling with the man as he frantically screams "no" and "stop" throughout the ordeal. In the footage he is heard yelling: "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!" He was also heard crying out: "No, no, no!" At one point the man sits opposite the beast wagging his finger at the tiger before it grabs him by the neck and pulls him away. One petrified visitor said "you could see blood" and the tiger "dragging the man" by the neck. Another male onlooker was heard crying "Jesus Christ", while a woman could be heard saying: "I tried to stop him".
Tiger not euthanised
Altai, the tiger involved, was uninjured following the incident and retreated to its enclosure, officials said. In a statement released today, Yorkshire Wildlife Park issued an update on the animal's future. "We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday's tragic incident," they wrote. "Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly lost his life. The park will be closed today while the staff team who were deeply affected by events receive specialist support. Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident."
Amur tiger involved
Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, with the Land of the Tigers attraction opening in 2011. The attraction is on a purpose-built two-acre reserve for Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with around 500 left in the wild. When Altai arrived at the park in March 2025, Director of Animals Charlotte MacDonald said: "We are delighted with Altai. He is a beautiful, huge cat and very calm and receptive, his keepers at Dyreparken have clearly done a great job with him. It will take him a while to settle in at the Park as it is a big change for him but hopefully he will be out in the Land of the Tiger in the coming weeks."
