Altai, the three-year-old Amur tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, has become the centre of a tragedy after a man died following an attack in his enclosure on Saturday afternoon. The park has confirmed that Altai will not be put down.
Emergency services were called after the man entered the enclosure and was attacked shortly after 1.30pm. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene, and his family have been informed, South Yorkshire Police have said.
Who is Altai?
Altai was born at the Norwegian Zoo, Dyreparken, and travelled over 1,135 miles to join Yorkshire Wildlife Park's resident tigress Tschuna. He arrived late on Thursday, February 27, 2025. The park said he was very calm and quiet on arrival, and not in a hurry to come straight out of his crate until Section Head of Carnivores, Bex Brown, tempted him with a piece of meat.
His previous keeper, Even Grønnerø, described him as "a nice and calm tiger" who loves his training and eating, and especially enjoys playing in the water.
Plans for breeding and conservation
It is hoped Altai will start his own family on the recommendation of the European Endangered Species Programme. Director of Animals, Charlotte MacDonald, said at the time of his arrival: "We are thrilled to welcome Altai here at the Park and are looking forward to Tschuna and Altai being introduced when the time is right."
She added: "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."
The tiger enclosure and the species
Land of the Tiger is a two-acre complex of reserves made up of woodlands, grasslands and its own waterfall pool, which suits Altai, whose favourite activity is playing in water.
Amur Tigers, more commonly known as Siberian Tigers, are the largest big cats in the world. The average weight for males is 160-190kg, while females are smaller, at 110-130kg. In the last 100 years the world has lost three subspecies of tiger, with Amur Tiger numbers dropping to around 50 individuals several decades ago. The most recent IUCN Red List assessment, published in 2022, estimated the population at 265-486, but they remain endangered.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park works closely with the WildLife Foundation, the charity based at the park. The Foundation has previously supported a WildCats Conservation Alliance and funded a rescue and rehabilitation centre at Alekseevka in Russia, to rehabilitate and reintroduce Amur tigers into the wild. It is hoped Altai will become an ambassador for the species and visitors will contribute to future projects for wild tiger conservation.
