US President Donald Trump has been criticised for sharing footage on his Truth Social platform showing the final moments of William Chapman, a 23-year-old British man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on Saturday.
The video, which showed Chapman being bitten and clawed by the tiger but did not show his death, was posted to Trump's 13 million followers with the words “Don’t ever mess with nature!” and signed “President DJT”.
Family's plea for dignity
Chapman's parents had publicly pleaded with people to stop sharing the distressing footage of their son's final ordeal, describing him as a “bright, warm and engaging young man” who had struggled with significant mental illness for years.
“The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress,” they said in a statement.
Trump's post came despite the family's request for the images to be removed from circulation.
Further animal attack videos shared
In a separate post, Trump shared another video featuring people apparently being attacked by lions, accompanied by upbeat music. No expression of sympathy for Chapman or his family accompanied either post.
The posts drew criticism amid ongoing US military action in Iran, rising fuel prices, and concerns over health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.
Reaction to presidential behaviour
Flowers were left at the entrance of Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, where the incident occurred. The tiger involved, named Altai, is a Siberian tiger.
Critics said the White House should demonstrate leadership and basic decency, and that a president should not add to a grieving family's suffering. The family had hoped to grieve without their son's final ordeal being circulated for the entertainment of strangers.
