A man has died after being mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, prompting police and staff to evacuate the site and close it for the weekend.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service was called to the park at 1.33pm today (October 10) following reports of the attack. South Yorkshire Police said it had received reports of a man entering a tiger enclosure at the park, with the tiger subsequently attacking the man and causing serious injury. Police added they were trying to make contact with the man's family.
Park evacuated and closed
A spokesperson confirmed the tiger remained in the enclosure and there was no wider risk to the public. The park was evacuated and closed for the rest of the weekend, according to officers and park officials.
In a statement, the park said: "Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and emergency services are currently attending the scene. We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened."
Witness accounts and emergency response
Eyewitnesses reported that black screens were erected around the tiger enclosure following the incident. Dominic Ford, a witness who reportedly visited the park with his four-year-old niece, said staff appeared calm. He added that an air ambulance, an ambulance and "a hell of a lot of police came". Armed keepers reportedly fired gas canisters to drive the tiger back into its cage, which was then hidden behind a large black privacy screen.
Video circulating on social media captures the moment the tiger strikes from behind while the victim kneels on the ground, biting him and mauling him before standing over his body.
Park's tiger residents
The park reportedly houses two tigers, a female called Tschuna and a male called Altai, which arrived in March last year, according to the Daily Mail.
