Yorkshire Wildlife Park has confirmed that Altai the tiger will not be euthanised following Saturday's fatal attack, but it remains unclear whether the big cat will stay on public display.
A man was mauled to death on Saturday after entering the tiger's enclosure at the park. Terrified witnesses reported seeing “pools of blood” as the animal, named Altai, dragged the victim away by the neck. The horrific scenes unfolded in front of families and young children, who were told to “look away”. The man died of his injuries despite air ambulances descending into the enclosure.
Park Confirms Tiger Will Not Be Put Down
Altai, an Amur tiger, retreated to its pen after the incident and was uninjured when authorities arrived. Almost immediately after the man's death, a chorus of “don’t kill the tiger” erupted on social media and news channels. Some conservationists demanded that the word “attack” not be used because the animal was “just doing what it’s supposed to do”.
Tiger King star Carole Baskin also pleaded with officials not to harm Altai. “The tiger was not doing anything wrong by being a tiger. I am relieved to hear that the animal was not harmed,” she told the New York Post.
Yesterday, Yorkshire Wildlife Park issued a statement confirming the tiger would not be put down. “Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger,” they wrote. “We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.”
Previous Tiger Attacks and Outcomes
The park has not confirmed whether Altai will still be on display in the future, but based on other incidents of tiger attacks, it is likely visitors will still be able to see him. In 2017, keeper Rosa King was fatally attacked by a big cat called Cicip after entering a tiger enclosure at Hamerton Zoo in Cambridgeshire. Both the zoo and the keeper's family requested the tiger not be destroyed, and the beast was kept on display. Visitors noted that when the park reopened just over two weeks after the tragedy, the then eight-year-old tiger was visible to the public basking in the sun inside its usual large, grassy enclosure.
In 2014, a tiger called Vijay killed a 20-year-old student who fell into its enclosure's moat. The zoo did not euthanise the beast on that occasion either, instead keeping it under behavioural observation on display for the rest of its life. Even Tilikum, the captive bull orca involved in the deaths of three people between 1991 and 2010, was never destroyed by authorities. The animal was kept at SeaWorld Orlando for breeding and limited exhibition until dying of a bacterial infection in 2017.
Concerns Over 'Taste for Blood'
Many may worry that Altai might now have a 'taste for human blood' after fatally mauling the man on Saturday. However, that theory is not supported by evidence. According to experts at BBC Wildlife, the animals usually stick to a strict diet of "deer, pigs and buffalo". Very few tigers in the wild that have killed humans ever become repeat offenders, and there has never been an example of a tiger in captivity continually mauling zoo keepers or staff.
The park remains closed today.
