A zoo-goer tried to stop a man from jumping into a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, but was not strong enough to hold him back. The man was later mauled to death by an Amur tiger named Altai.
The man, who has not yet been named, was reportedly dancing with his mobile phone and wearing Apple AirPods before he scaled the fence shortly after 1.30pm. Eyewitnesses said he posed for a photo with the tiger in the background just moments before leaping from a viewing platform.
Attempts to intervene
A visitor who watched the attack unfold said a woman tried to pull the man back onto the viewing bridge above the enclosure but "wasn't strong enough". The man "pulled away from her, climbed down, and jumped about 12ft" into the pen, the visitor said. He then "knelt in front of the tiger", who did not immediately attack and was initially just circling the man.
The witness said: "But then the young man started yelling at the tiger and waving his finger at him, yelling, 'No', and the tiger grabbed him by the neck. It all happened very fast. The tiger staff were in there quickly, and fired two shots to the ground to scare the tiger away from the man."
Keepers' response and tiger's fate
Keepers fired gas-powered acoustic guns into the air, frightening Altai away to a nearby shelter. The big cat was quickly secured, but the man was later declared dead at the scene.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed that Altai will not be euthanised following the fatal mauling. A spokesman said: "We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following [Saturday's] tragic incident. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life. The park will be closed while the staff team who were deeply affected by events receive specialist support."
Witness accounts and park closure
One person wrote on social media: "Twenty minutes before the tragic incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park this tiger was sat in the sunshine. The man who I saw on the bridge with his EarPods 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. Tragic for his family. Tragic for the staff who were brilliant but in shock. Thankfully the tiger survived. Thankfully we didn't see him jump."
Another witness said the man appeared to "psyche himself up" by doing a "dance" in the spectator area before entering the enclosure. A source said: "From start to end the incident was over within minutes. The keepers did everything they could. It's horrific."
Animal ranger Charlotte Pywell said: "I was not there. I don't know who the guy was or what made him jump. It was not the tigers fault at all. It was just something else to play with. The keepers are all distraught. It was not a very nice day."
The park, on the outskirts of Doncaster, was closed on Sunday with green steel barriers and the ticket office shut. A dog walker said: "I come here every day and I've never seen it like this. This time of day on a Sunday it would normally be swarming. There'd be upwards of 5,000 people."
Altai was brought to the park from Norway in March 2025 to mate with the only other tiger, a female Siberian called Tschuna. When Altai arrived, Director of Animals Charlotte MacDonald said: "We are delighted with Altai. He is a beautiful, huge cat and very calm and receptive, his keepers at Dyreparken have clearly done a great job with him."
