An inquest has revealed the diagnosis of a man who died after entering the tiger enclosure at a UK wildlife park.

23-year-old William Chapman was killed by the tiger after climbing into its area at Yorkshire Wildlife Park last weekend and an inquest into his death has revealed more details.

William Chapman’s family confirmed he had mental health struggles

Chapman’s family paid tribute to him and mentioned that he had been struggling with his mental health before his death, and police had referred to him as ‘vulnerable’.

Now, the inquest has revealed more.

William Chapman was mauled to death by Altai the tiger at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Credit: Instagram/yorkshirewildlifepark

Speaking at the court, an officer said: "During my communications with Mr Chapman's family they confirmed he had a history of mental illness, a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had suffered previous bouts of psychosis and was under the care of Doncaster Mental Health Services.

"Despite his diagnosis Mr Chapman was highly functioning and independent.

"His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his death.”

Chapman’s family had released a statement after the 23-year-old’s death paying tribute to him, and asking people not to share video footage from the horrific attack.

William Chapman has been identified as the man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Credit: Instagram

Donald Trump shared the horrific video footage

However, US President Donald Trump shared footage of the incident himself - being branded ‘sick’ by many observers - before then sharing another video created by AI in which he battled with the tiger himself.

In their statement, Chapman’s family said that he had suffered from ‘significant mental illness’ over the years, but added that he was a 'bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back’.

Addressing the videos that were circulating, the family wrote: “The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time.”

Their statement adds: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened,

"The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.”

Inquest finds his cause of death

At the short inquest into his death - a full inquest is. scheduled for March 18 2027 - it was revealed that his cause of death was 1A multiple traumatic injuries and 1B animal interaction.

The coroner said: "This case relates to the death of a 24-year-old [sic] man who passed away at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on October 10.

"He attended Yorkshire Wildlife Park where at 13.31 hours he climbed two fences and entered the tiger enclosure.

"He approached the tiger and, following an interaction, suffered multiple traumatic injuries.”

The officer added: "I have been led to believe the Rotherham South Yorkshire Trust have commissioned an independent patient safety investigation."

The family of William Chapman, the man mauled to death by a tiger at a Yorkshire wildlife park, has made a tragic plea to the public following an "offensive" AI video of the incident being shared by Donald Trump.

Chapman was named yesterday as the man killed after breaking into a tiger's enclosure, but his family is now desperately trying to stop AI-generated videos being made that recreate elements of Chapman's death.

One of those videos was actually circulated by the President of the United States himself, Donald Trump.

William Chapman's family beg Trump to stop spreading "deeply offensive" video

The video in question was posted to Trump's official account on Truth Social - it sees Chapman himself replaced inside the video with an AI-generated avatar of Trump pointing his finger at the tiger, something that Chapman did in real life.

However, most of the ire stems from Trump sharing a video that's not AI at all. On his Truth Social page, he shared an unedited clip taken at the time that Chapman had broken into the tiger's enclosure and was attacked by the animal.

Trump shared the video with the caption: "Don't ever mess with nature!"

Now, the family of Chapman have spoken out about the circulation of such clips online...and have called for it to stop.

In their first public statement, which was read out on UK breakfast show Good Morning Britain, William Chapman's family asked for the "deeply offensive" videos taken of his attack to stop being circulated online.

Trump shared the grim video on his social media. Credit: X

William Chapman's family's full statement following his death

The first full statement from William Chapman's family came from the UK breakfast morning news show Good Morning Britain.

Chapman, who was a former child actor, was also confirmed by his family to have suffered from "significant mental illness" over the last few years.

"The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time," the statement reads.

"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. [Chapman's] family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."

They concluded: "William was a bright, warm, and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back."

Featured image credit: Instagram

An expert has shared a theory on the tiger's actions during the fatal attack.

Horrified onlookers watched as William Chapman, a 23-year-old former child actor, jumped into an enclosure housing the rare Amur tiger, Altai, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday (October 10).

A woman reportedly tried to pull him back to safety, but he managed to leap over the safety barriers.

Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 1.35PM, but medical crews were unable to save Chapman, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man was mauled to death by Altai the tiger at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Credit: Instagram/yorkshirewildlifepark

Onlookers who watched Chapman, who was described as vulnerable, enter the tiger's den reportedly told him to "play dead," in hopes that the animal would ignore the man. But he appeared to not understand their warnings.

The man reportedly pointed his finger at the tiger and told it to "stop being naughty," before it pounced at his neck.

An animal expert explains why the tiger may have attacked

Reece Oliver, an animal expert and licensed zookeeper, has since offered an explanation for the tiger's behavior, noting that big cats are accustomed to only certain objects entering their enclosures.

"The only thing that goes into that enclosure normally would be sort of enrichment toys or food so I think he was probably just playing, using his predatory instinct, seeing what it was, and unfortunately it ended up being a fatal attack," he said.

Oliver warned that humans can never tame a wild beast's natural instincts and emphasized that anyone entering an enclosure is stepping into a completely different world.

"It's hard to say without seeing the evidence what actually happened, but tigers are solitary animals and an apex predator," he continued. "The guy had gone into the tiger's world, and tigers don't live by our rules because at the end of the day they're a tiger."

William Chapman has been identified as the man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Credit: Instagram

Zookeeper defends the wildlife park's safety measures

The expert also addressed concerns about whether security measures at wildlife parks should be strengthened.

"The zoo standards are out there, and they are very safe. You can only build so much to stop people. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is an amazing facility, it's one of the best in the UK," he said.

"There are safety precautions, all of the fences are all up to standards and above. There is also stand-off barriers that stop the public from touching the fences. You know, where do you draw the line?

"It's like an airport. How do you stop somebody climbing into an airport? There is fences around an airport but someone could still cut the fence or go in. It's very difficult to eliminate every situation because, at the end of the day, a human can gain access," he added.

Tiger was not euthanized after the tragedy

In a statement issued online, the wildlife park thanked those who had expressed concern and said their "thoughts and heartfelt sympathies" remained with Chapman's family.

The park also confirmed that the tiger was "safe and well and will not be euthanized" after the incident.

The late man's bereaved family revealed that he had suffered from "significant mental illness" over a number of years and had been prescribed "strong medication".

"William was a bright, warm, and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back," they said.

They have also urged people not to share the videos of the horrific attack, including the one posted by Donald Trump himself.

"The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time.

"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened," the statement continued. "The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."

Featured image credit: Instagram

The man mauled to death by a tiger at a UK park was a former child actor who appeared alongside a Harry Potter star.

On Saturday (October 10), a man identified as William Chapman - who was 23 years old and described as vulnerable by police - jumped an enclosure housing the rare Amur tiger, Altai, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

Chapman reportedly pointed his finger at the big cat and told it to "stop being naughty." Witnesses also reportedly shouted at him to play dead, but he appeared to not understand their warnings before the tiger launched its fatal attack.

It has now emerged that the late man was a former student at the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, which was attended by many stars like James Corden, Eddie Redmayne, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

William Chapman has been identified as the man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Credit: Instagram

Chapman was a child actor

As a young actor, Chapman appeared in the ITV show May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, who was known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter franchise, and Darren Boyd, BBC reported.

The two-part comedy drama aired in 2009, and Chapman portrayed the role of Alfie Chaplin, the younger son of Henderson and Boyd's characters.

He is also credited with playing Edward Jenner, who pioneered the smallpox vaccine, as a young boy in the BBC series True Stories in 2012.

Jackie Palmer Stage School, where Mr Chapman was a former student, paid tribute to him, writing: "We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer, during his time with us.

"It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.

"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with William's family and friends during this incredibly difficult time," they added.

William Chapman captured footage inside the tiger's enclosure. Credit: Instagram

Donald Trump shared footage of the tiger attack

A video of the incident has been widely shared on social media, including on Truth Social by President Donald Trump. He captioned the footage: "Dont [sic] ever mess with nature! President DJT."

Many users were outraged by the post and called out the 80-year-old for being insensitive.

One person wrote: "Posting about a man being killed Trump has no compassion whatsoever.”

Another said: "So instead of saying that this is a horrible situation and should have been avoided or prevented, you condone this, even gloat. No one is surprised. Our only hope that your end will be similar."

A third said: "This is utterly outrageous and just so incredibly low. This is real person who passed away and has a family."

Witness reveals what Chapman did after climbing into the enclosure

South Yorkshire Police confirmed that Chapman was visiting the park alone.

One witness said they had seen the 23-year-old "dancing with headphones on" shortly before he jumped into the enclosure.

Anthony Hunt, who had been at the wildlife park with his girlfriend, told Sky News that they had been taking photos of the tiger when they saw its composure change and its head turn.

"Its eyes locked on to something in the enclosure. We thought maybe he's getting fed. When Scarlett was taking photos - we suddenly saw in the camera lens that a guy had entered the enclosure," Anthony said.

The man "bowed down, on all fours, started praying, and looking up at the sky," he said.

"The tiger was still on the landing at this point" but then "leapt off the landing, and sniffed the guy".

The wildlife park in Doncaster, England, remains closed today. Credit: Google Maps

Chapman's family speaks out

In a statement, Chapman's family said that he had suffered from "significant mental illness" over a number of years and had been prescribed "strong medication".

"William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back," they said.

On the videos circulating - including the one which was shared by Trump - they said: "The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time.

"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened," the statement continued. "The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."

City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into Chapman's death, and the park remains closed.

Featured image credit: Instagram

An animal keeper has given their verdict on whether the man could have survived after being mauled by a tiger at a UK zoo.

William Chapman, 23, jumped into an enclosure housing the rare Amur tiger, Altai, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday (October 10).

The man, who witnesses said had seemed "so happy," reportedly pointed his finger at the big cat and told it to "stop being naughty," before it pounced at his neck.

Zoo keepers fired gas-powered acoustic guns into the air to frighten the wild animal. It retreated to a nearby shelter and was quickly secured, unharmed. But tragically, the victim was declared dead at the scene.

A man was mauled to death by Altai the tiger at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Credit: Instagram/yorkshirewildlifepark

Chapman's family speaks out

According to the 23-year-old's family, he had suffered from "significant mental illness" over a number of years and had been prescribed "strong medication".

"William was a bright, warm, and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back," they said.

The family spoke about the videos circulating online, including one recorded by Chapman himself, which showed him approaching the tiger, and said: "The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time.

"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened," the statement continued. "The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."

Could the victim have survived the attack?

Onlookers who watched Chapman enter the danger zone reportedly told him to "play dead," in hopes that the animal would ignore the man. But he appeared to not understand their warnings.

Reece Oliver, an expert animal keeper, said the young man "stood no chance" of survival.

"You can't say the tiger was being malice," Oliver told Sky News. "But what we have to think is, the tiger is 200 kilos. If it really wanted to kill him, it could've probably killed him in ten seconds.

"I don't think it knew what it was going to do, because the only thing that goes into that enclosure normally, would be enrichment toys or food.

"So I think he was probably just playing, using his predatory instinct, seeing what it was - and unfortunately, it ended up being a fatal attack," he added.

William Chapman captured footage inside the tiger's enclosure. Credit: Instagram

Chapman was a former child actor

It has emerged that Chapman was a former student at the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, which was attended by many stars like James Corden, Eddie Redmayne, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The school paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing: "We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer, during his time with us.

"It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.

"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with William's family and friends during this incredibly difficult time," they added.

As a young actor, Chapman appeared in the ITV show May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, who was known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter franchise, and Darren Boyd, BBC reported.

The two-part comedy drama aired in 2009, and Chapman portrayed the role of Alfie Chaplin, the younger son of Henderson and Boyd's characters.

He is also credited with playing Edward Jenner, who pioneered the smallpox vaccine, as a young boy in the BBC series True Stories in 2012.

Our thoughts continue to be with his loved ones at this time.

Featured image credit: Colin Langford / Getty