Tiger attack zoo issues new message after park reopens following death

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has issued a new message to people who visted on its reopening day following the tragedy of a man mauled to death by a tiger in an enclosure last weekend. William Chapman was killed by a tiger after entering its enclosure last Saturday.The wildlife park near Doncaster thanked visitors for their support in a post on X, sharing a photo of a smiling family looking at a lemur. The post read: “Thank you to everyone who visited today for your support and kind wishes!”

The post, shared on X at 5.30pm this evening, has already amassed more than 5,000 likes. The park reopened to the public for the first time today since Saturday’s incident, with its “Land of the Tiger” attraction also welcoming visitors again.

The park had been closed since the incident last Saturday, which led to members of the public being evacuated. A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman, who sadly lost his life.”

Early visitors reported that the five-year-old male Siberian tiger involved, called Altai, was out in one of the enclosures, eating a meal while lying on top of a wooden platform.

A handful of visitors watched him from the raised wooden walkway, waiting for him to face them for photographs as a substantial number of park staff looked on.

Families taking photographs of Altai said it was right that the park had reopened. One woman said: “It was just terrible what happened but it’s got to open again at some point. I don’t see how it helps anyone to keep the park shut.

In a previous statement on social media, the park said “many, many people” had contacted it about Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident, and it confirmed he was “safe and well” and would not be euthanised.

Chapman died of “multiple traumatic injuries and animal interaction” after he entered the enclosure of Amur tiger Altai. An inquest into Chapman’s death opened on Thursday in Doncaster, which heard he had a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

He had suffered previous bouts of psychosis, the hearing at Doncaster Coroner’s Court was told. Coroner’s officer Caitlin Brookes said his family had expressed “a number of concerns” in relation to his contact with mental health services.