Eyewitnesses have described the final moments of a man fatally attacked by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, saying he had been "dancing happily with AirPods in" before scaling down a fence, seemingly "wanting to play" with the endangered big cat.
Visitor recounts moments before attack
One visitor said she had observed the victim's behaviour about 20 minutes before he entered the Amur tigers' two-acre enclosure. She told reporters: "Twenty minutes before today's tragic incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park this tiger was sat enjoying the sunshine. The man who I saw on the bridge with his AirPods in dancing was happily enjoying seeing the tiger. He obviously wasn't with anyone and he asked a total stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background."
"Probably the last photo on his phone. 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," she added.
Police confirm death at the scene
South Yorkshire Police issued an updated statement on Saturday evening, confirming that at 1.35pm on Saturday, October 10, they received reports of a man entering a tiger enclosure at the park. The tiger subsequently attacked the man, causing serious injury. Despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man's family has been informed and is being supported by specialist officers. The animal was uninjured and remained in the enclosure after the incident, with no wider risk to the public. The park was evacuated, and officers remained on scene carrying out enquiries. Police also encouraged people not to share footage of the incident circulating online.
Park closed following incident
Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed that a serious incident had occurred at the tiger enclosure and that its emergency response procedures were activated immediately. The park said it was working closely with authorities to ascertain exactly what happened, adding that the safety and wellbeing of visitors, staff and animals remained its highest priority. The park is now closed and will remain closed on Sunday, October 11.
