Man Killed by Siberian Tiger After Entering Enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

A man was fatally mauled by a Siberian tiger after climbing into its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday afternoon, witnesses reported.

The victim, believed to be in his 20s, entered the tiger enclosure at lunchtime and was attacked by Altai, a 30-stone Siberian tiger, in front of families visiting the park.

Visitors described the man behaving erratically before entering the enclosure. One witness, Anthony Hunt, 22, stated he saw the man walking fast and dancing with AirPods in. He later saw the man again by the tiger enclosure, "dancing with his phone out by the canopy." Another visitor, Scarlet Hogan, 21, noted that the man seemed "very out of place."

Witness accounts suggest the man scaled a large fence, dropping approximately 12 feet into the enclosure. Ms. Hogan described the tiger going into a "stalk mode" as the man appeared to take selfies before getting on the floor and praying. Mr. Hunt added that the man was "on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger. It was like he was waiting for the tiger."

"He had his arms wide open like he was saying: 'Come here, tiger. Kill me.' Then the tiger came and started to attack him," Mr. Hunt recounted. He also noted the man screamed and fought back, appearing "detached from reality." Footage posted to social media reportedly shows the tiger clawing and "ragdolling" the man, who screamed "stop" multiple times.

During the attack, the man's gestures were identified by some as potentially resembling the Makaton sign for "bad." Ms. Hogan mentioned he was speaking in a different language while praying, and witnesses described his actions as appearing to be "on a mission" or a "religious" ritual.

Zookeepers attempted to intervene by firing acoustic gun blasts to scare the tiger away. Emergency services, including an air ambulance, arrived at the scene at 1:35 p.m., and a screen was erected around the enclosure while lifesaving treatment was administered. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which remained closed on Sunday, confirmed in a statement that the tiger, Altai, will not be euthanized. "We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident," the park said. Altai arrived at the park in February 2025 from Dyreparken Zoo in Norway.

An animal ranger at the zoo, Charlotte Pywell, stated that keepers "did everything they could" and that "it was not the tiger's fault at all." A source also confirmed that shots were fired into the air to distract the tiger, but the animal was unharmed.

Another visitor recalled seeing the man moments before entering the enclosure asking parkgoers to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background. "Excuse me, can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?" he reportedly asked, requesting an additional photo before proceeding.

The incident has left zoo staff distraught, with one visitor reporting seeing three female zookeepers sitting on the ground in shock after the attack.