Del Taylor, who had one of the last interactions with a man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, has shared a new update. She addressed speculation online and urged people to "take a moment to think" and "keep a broader mind on what's happened."
Fatal encounter at the enclosure
The zoo was closed on Sunday (October 11), and remained closed on Monday, after the unnamed man climbed into the enclosure of an Amur tiger named Altai, and was mauled to death. He had entered from a walkway overseeing the animal after "pacing around" nearby and acting strangely, according to a couple who watched the distressing incident unfold.
The man then fell 12ft into the enclosure, where he was attacked and killed by Altai, a 30 stone Amur tiger. He was heard saying: "No, no, no" and "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop" as the animal grabbed him by his neck.
Police said the man suffered "serious injuries" before he was pronounced dead at the scene, reports The Mirror.
Witness describes final moments
Del Taylor, who was visiting the park with her boyfriend, was one of the last people to interact with the man. She explained how she was approached by the young man, who asked her: "Can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?"
She told 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."
Del has now issued an update on the tragic incident. She took to TikTok yesterday to share a two-and-a-half minute video with her followers.
Appeal for understanding
In her video she says: "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 went on to describe the moments that lead up to the tragic incident, saying: "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 confirmed she has spoken to the police and went on to say: "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 concluded her video by saying: "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 launched
A health and safety investigation has been launched into the death of the man, the site's licensing authority, City of Doncaster Council, has confirmed. The Health and Safety Executive earlier said it would not investigate the incident, confirming that the council would be responsible for the investigation.
The park has confirmed Altai will not be euthanised as a result of this incident. It is not yet clear when the park will reopen to the public.
