Yorkshire Wildlife Park Reopens After Fatal Tiger Encounter
Altai the Amur tiger is seen for the first time since mauling a man to death, as visitors return to the reopened park.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has reopened to the public, days after a fatal incident in which William Chapman, 24, was mauled to death by Altai, a rare Amur tiger. The park had been closed since the Saturday attack but welcomed visitors again on Friday morning.
The Land of the Tigers exhibit is once more accessible, with park officials requesting understanding and respect from visitors towards their staff during this difficult period. Zookeepers were present to answer questions and observed visitors watching the big cats from a raised viewing platform. Altai was seen resting and later eating meat provided by staff, with one keeper reporting the tiger to be "doing fine."
Before the park's reopening, many visitors expressed their support for the staff on social media, with some expressing affection for Altai and stating the tiger "did nothing wrong." These sentiments often included acknowledgments that the tiger acted on instinct when its territory was invaded.
In the moments leading up to the fatal attack, Chapman was reportedly dancing on a walkway above the tiger enclosure and asked a visitor to take his photograph with Altai in the background. He then climbed two fences to enter the enclosure, where he posted a video to Instagram approaching the tiger. Zookeepers attempted to deter Altai by firing acoustic gun blasts. Emergency services arrived at the scene at 1:35 p.m. but confirmed Chapman's death.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed that Altai was uninjured and would not be euthanized. The park issued a statement extending sympathies to Chapman's family and friends, emphasizing that the safety and well-being of visitors, staff, and animals remain their top priority. They also noted that specialist trauma support is being provided to affected staff.
An inquest opening on Thursday revealed Chapman's provisional cause of death was "multiple traumatic injuries." It was heard that Chapman had a history of mental illness, including schizophrenia and previous psychotic episodes. His family has raised concerns regarding his interactions with mental health services prior to his death. At the time of his death, Chapman was described as a self-employed online trader under the care of Doncaster Mental Health Services, although he was considered highly functioning and independent with no care requirements. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death has been launched by the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, alongside a health and safety probe by the City of Doncaster Council and an investigation by South Yorkshire Police.