Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster will reopen to the public on Friday, nearly a week after a man was fatally attacked by a tiger within its grounds. The park has been closed since the incident on Saturday, when William Chapman, 24, was mauled to death.
Inquest Reveals Mental Health Background
An inquest into Mr Chapman's death, opened on Thursday at Doncaster Coroner's Court, heard that he had a background of mental health struggles and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. His relatives raised concerns about his engagement with mental health services before his death. The hearing was told that Mr Chapman had experienced earlier episodes of psychosis and had suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication."
Health and Safety Investigation
City of Doncaster Council, which licenses the attraction, is conducting a health and safety inquiry and has indicated it will provide its findings to the coroner, the hearing learned.
Park Confirms Reopening and Tiger's Welfare
Yorkshire Wildlife Park announced it will resume operations on Friday after "engagement with the relevant authorities." In an earlier social media post, the park said that "many, many people" had reached out regarding Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the tragedy, confirming he is "safe and well" and will not be put down. On Thursday, the park verified that it will reopen, including the "Land of the Tiger" section.
A statement confirmed that Altai's "ongoing welfare at YWP remains a priority of our experienced animal care team." The statement continued: "We continue to assist South Yorkshire Police and other relevant agencies with their ongoing enquiries into the circumstances of this tragic incident."
"As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time. We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected. As inquiries remain ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on circumstances at this time. We would like to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and support during this difficult period, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the park."
