Man mauled to death in tiger enclosure named and pictured for first time

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COMMENTSThe man who was killed by a tiger after entering its enclosure has been named for the first time.

William Chapman was mauled to death by a Amur tiger at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses saw the man “pacing around” while wearing headphones shortly after 1.30pm, before entering the enclosure and being attacked.

Mr Chapman, who is understood to have been visiting the park on his own, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to South Yorkshire Police.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park remains closed following the incidentPA WireA force spokesperson said his family was aware and was being supported by specialist officers.

The park was evacuated after the incident, and remains closed on Tuesday as investigations continue.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park said their “thoughts and heartfelt sympathies” were with the man’s family, and confirmed that the tiger, called Altai, will not be euthanised following the incident.

City of Doncaster Council has also launched a health and safety investigation into the death, which a spokesperson said was “in line with our statutory duties”.

Eyewitnesses have reported that Mr Chapman entered the enclosure after climbing down from a walkway, and that, despite attempts to distract the tiger, it attacked the man from its landing point.

A video posted on social media, which has since been deleted, appeared to show the moments directly before the attack.

William Chapman died after suffering serious injuries in a tiger enclosurePASeemingly filmed by Mr Chapman, the video showed himself as he walked towards Altai, who was on a wooden platform in the enclosure.

Visitors could be heard shouting in the background, urging Mr Chapman to get out.

A spokesperson for the Born Free Foundation, which campaigns to phase out zoos, called for an “urgent review” into “how the man managed to enter the enclosure and what happened next”.

South Yorkshire Police said: “Regarding rumours surrounding the condition of the tiger, the animal was uninjured and remained in the enclosure following the incident and there is no wider risk to the public.”