A man has died after being mauled by a tiger at a wildlife park in England, with the tragic incident prompting an investigation and leaving witnesses traumatized by what they saw.
The fatal attack happened on Saturday, October 10, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, after a man entered the enclosure housing Altai, a rare Amur tiger.
Emergency services were called at around 1.30pm after reports that the man had climbed into the animal’s enclosure from a raised walkway.
Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Visitors described watching in horror as the tiger attacked, with some claiming they had seen the man approach the animal with his arms outstretched after bowing towards it.
A woman reportedly tried to stop him from entering the enclosure, but he managed to get past her before jumping into the tiger’s habitat.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed the man had been visiting the park alone, while officers urged the public not to share distressing footage of the attack circulating online.
City of Doncaster Council has since launched a health and safety investigation into the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
The incident has also sparked renewed discussion about visitor safety at wildlife parks, with experts explaining that even extensive safety measures cannot entirely eliminate the risks posed by unpredictable behaviour.
Witnesses describe horrifying moments before the attack
Visitors have described seeing the man on the raised walkway shortly before he entered the enclosure.
Some said he appeared to be wearing headphones and pacing around, while others claimed he had asked people to take a photograph of him with the tiger in the background.
Anthony Hunt and his girlfriend, Scarlet Hogan, were visiting the park when the tragedy unfolded.
They told The Telegraph that a woman had desperately attempted to pull the man back as he tried to enter the tiger’s enclosure.
Hogan described his behaviour in the moments before the attack as unusual, saying: “Up until he got attacked, it was like he was in a trance, not in reality at all.”
The couple also claimed they saw the man bowing towards the tiger and lowering himself to the ground before the animal approached him.
Hunt said the man appeared to have his arms wide open, as though inviting the tiger towards him.
Another visitor, Ella Ford, told the BBC she had seen the man climb over the barriers before entering the enclosure and lying down in front of the animal.
She said she subsequently heard him shouting for help as the tiger grabbed hold of him.
Some visitors reportedly attempted to distract the animal by banging on the fencing. Other witnesses described shots being fired in an effort to divert the tiger’s attention and allow emergency responders to reach the scene, although the precise circumstances remain under investigation.
The park was evacuated following the incident.
Investigation launched as park remains closed
City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing Yorkshire Wildlife Park, confirmed it had launched a health and safety investigation.
Dan Swaine, the council’s executive director of place, said the authority was deeply saddened by the incident and offered his sympathies to the man’s family, those who witnessed the attack and the staff involved.
He said: “As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation.
“We are also working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in response to the incident.”
The council has said it will not comment further on the individual or the investigation at this stage, asking for the privacy of those affected to be respected.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has also confirmed that Altai is safe and well and will not be euthanised following the fatal attack.
The five-year-old Amur tiger arrived at the park from Dyreparken in Norway in February 2025 as part of a European conservation breeding programme for the endangered subspecies.
In a statement, the park said: “Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.”
The wildlife park remained closed as the investigation continued, although its wider Yorkshire Hive attraction was reported to remain open.
Man’s identity and personal circumstances emerge
South Yorkshire Police had previously confirmed that the victim’s family requested that he not be publicly named.
However, reports subsequently identified the man as William Chapman.
His family later revealed that he had ‘suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication,’ according to reports from HuffPost.
The disclosure has added further context to the tragedy, although the precise circumstances leading up to his decision to enter the enclosure remain unclear.
Reports also emerged about social media posts apparently shared by Chapman on the day of his death, including footage filmed as he approached the tiger.
Other images reportedly showed him holding a Bible and a crossbow. The significance of those posts has not been established.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed all the details surrounding his actions, and the investigation into the fatal incident remains ongoing.
Donald Trump shares tiger attack footage
The tragedy took another disturbing turn after US President Donald Trump sparked outrage by sharing footage of the attack on his Truth Social platform.
On Tuesday, October 13, Trump reportedly shared a clip showing part of the fatal encounter with his millions of followers.
He captioned the post: “Don’t ever mess with nature!”
The president signed the message with his own name.
The decision to share the footage drew fierce criticism online, with many people questioning why a video showing a man being mauled to death had been posted for entertainment or commentary.
The White House also shared the clip on X through its Rapid Response account.
Trump then reportedly shared another video featuring a montage of people being attacked by lions, set to upbeat music. Some of the footage appeared to be AI-generated.
In a further post, he shared an AI-generated video depicting himself confronting what appeared to be the same big cat involved in the fatal incident. The clip showed him tackling the animal before playfighting with it, set to The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
The posts prompted widespread condemnation, with critics describing the decision to share the footage as disturbing and disrespectful towards the victim and his grieving family.
One social media user wrote: “You people are sick in the f****** head.”
Another commented: “It’s pretty sick you posting this.”
A third wrote: “Why the f*** would you post a man being mauled? Holy shit, you’re unhinged.”
Others questioned the appropriateness of sharing graphic footage of a real person’s death, particularly while the circumstances surrounding the tragedy were still being investigated.
The backlash centred on the decision to turn footage of a fatal attack into social media content, with critics arguing that the victim’s death and his family’s grief should have been treated with greater sensitivity.
The incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park remains under investigation, with authorities continuing to establish the circumstances that led to the man’s death.