UK3 min(s) read
Moment man filmed himself approaching tiger before it mauled him to death
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An incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park ended in tragedy when a man jumped into a tiger enclosure and was attacked by a five-year-old Siberian tiger.
William Chapman had dropped 15 feet from a raised viewing platform into the habitat, landing on the grass near the big cat named Altai.
Moments before the ordeal, he recorded himself approaching the 420-pound animal while shocked visitors watched from above.
Horrified witnesses looked on from the viewing structure as Chapman walked toward the tiger, looking out of breath. The victim posted his footage online shortly before being pinned down by the animal.
Additional recordings from onlookers captured him shouting "no, no, no" and "stop, stop, stop, stop, stop" as Altai circled and lunged at him.
Visitors described seeing the tiger grab the man by the neck and pull him across the area. Park rangers arrived within minutes, firing two warning shots from a shotgun to startle the predator as staff began evacuating the grounds.
Altai retreated into his pen and was secured, but Chapman was declared dead at the scene. South Yorkshire Police confirmed they received a call regarding the incident at 1:35 PM on Saturday.
Witness account of the moments before
Eyewitness Del Taylor, aged 32, had been at the viewing platform with her partner Alex Underwood when the man approached them. Del stated to The Sun, "At first he was dancing on the bridge overlooking the enclosure. He came close to us and ended up standing next to me.
"My partner was recording the tiger at the time and you can hear me having this interaction. You can hear him asking you for a photo. I took a couple of photos of him with his back towards the enclosure. I positioned the camera so that I could get Altai in it with him. He then asked me to take another."
Chapman had asked her, "Can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?" and excitedly requested, "One more, one more, one more."
After saying "thank you, lady," he climbed over a 3-foot-high balustrade and jumped down into the tiger habitat. Del noted that the man was completely alone at the facility.
Investigation into the fatal incident
After the jump occurred, emergency measures were activated throughout the park. Del recalled walking to a nearby cafe shortly afterward, where a staff member's radio alerted workers that someone had entered an animal enclosure and requested backup. Police and ambulance crews arrived as visitors were guided toward the exits, and black screens were placed around the tiger area.
South Yorkshire Police stated that specialized family liaison officers are offering support to Chapman's family, saying: "Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time." A health and safety investigation into the incident has been launched, and an inquest is expected to open in the coming days.
About Altai the tiger
Altai, who weighs around 30 stone, arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park last February as part of the European Endangered Species Program. Born in the Norwegian zoo Dyreparken, the male Siberian tiger was relocated to the UK at age three to pair with the park's female tiger, Tschuna.
Park officials confirmed that Altai did not sustain any injuries during the event and will not be put down.