Del Taylor, who took photos of an unnamed man on his phone shortly before he was killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, has urged people to "take a moment to think" amid online speculation about his death.
The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, fell 12ft into the tiger enclosure, where Altai, a 30 stone Amur tiger, fatally mauled him. Witnesses reported hearing him cry out "No, no, no" and "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop" as the creature seized him by the neck.
Park closed following incident
The attraction shut its doors on Sunday and remained closed yesterday following the devastating occurrence. According to a couple who witnessed the harrowing scene, he had accessed the enclosure via a viewing walkway after "pacing around" the vicinity and displaying unusual behaviour. The park underwent evacuation as officers and emergency personnel descended upon the location. Authorities confirmed the man sustained "serious injuries" and was declared dead at the scene.
Final interaction described
Del Taylor, who was at the park with her boyfriend, was among those who had final contact with the individual. She described being approached by the young man, who enquired: "Can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?"
She had previously revealed to The Sun: "At first he was dancing on the bridge overlooking the enclosure. He ended up standing next to me. My partner was recording the tiger and you can hear me having this interaction. You can hear him asking for a photo. I took a couple of him with his back towards the enclosure. I positioned the camera so I could get Altai in it with him."
Fresh update on social media
Del has now provided a fresh update regarding the devastating incident. Yesterday, she turned to TikTok to post a two-and-a-half minute clip for her followers while sitting in a vehicle. In her footage she states: "I've seen a lot of speculation online about this person, this man, and a lot of it is not very nice, very presumptuous. I just wish people would take a moment to think about why maybe he'd do something like this."
She proceeded to recount the moments preceding the harrowing incident, explaining: "He was so happy and then he's come and placed himself next to us and he passed me his phone and he asked me for a photo. If you'd have seen him... you would understand why I'm saying what I'm saying."
She verified that she has liaised with police and continued: "It's so upsetting to think that apart from that awful viral video of him being attacked by the tiger online that the last photo of that man probably alive is the one that i've taken on his phone for him. But, I'm just asking people to keep a broader mind on what's happened."
She wrapped up her video by stating: "This is all I've got to say on the matter and there is going to be a social media silence from me until this dies down now."
Investigation underway
An investigation into health and safety has been initiated following the fatal tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, as confirmed by the venue's licensing body, City of Doncaster Council. The Health and Safety Executive previously indicated it would not be conducting an inquiry into the incident, confirming instead that the council would oversee the investigation.
Park officials have confirmed that Altai will not be put down following this incident. When the park will welcome visitors again remains uncertain.
