A man was savagely attacked and killed by a tiger yesterday after he entered its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, in a scene of pure terror captured on video that has left witnesses traumatised.
Shocking footage circulating online shows the unnamed visitor, wearing a black jumper and light trousers, on the grass inside the Land of the Tigers area as one of the park’s powerful Amur tigers circles him, grabs him, and shakes him.
In the clip, the man can be heard crying “no, no” while the big cat looms over him. Horrified onlookers scream “Jesus Christ” as a woman’s voice is heard saying she tried to stop him. The tiger, which dwarfs the man, appears to bite and grapple with him as he sits or lies on the ground, at one point attempting to push himself up.
Witnesses described the man as looking “agitated” before he jumped or climbed into the enclosure shortly before 1.35 pm on Saturday. Staff immediately activated emergency procedures. Visitors reported hearing what sounded like shots, later believed to be gas canisters or other non-lethal measures used to manage the animal, as the park was evacuated.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service confirmed they were called at 1.33 pm and sent two land ambulances, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and a doctor to the scene near Doncaster. Despite their efforts, South Yorkshire Police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
“At 1.35pm today we received reports of a man entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The tiger subsequently attacked the man, resulting in serious injury,” a police spokesman said. “Emergency services attended and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time.”
Police moved quickly to quash rumours about the tiger’s fate, stating clearly that the animal was uninjured, remained in the enclosure, and posed no wider risk to the public. Officers remain at the park carrying out inquiries.
A park spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by today’s tragic incident. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the person who has lost their life. We are working closely with the police and relevant authorities and would ask that the privacy of those affected is respected at this extremely difficult time. The park will remain closed tomorrow.”
Visitor Karmelle Pelham, 39, from Worksop, was on a family day out when staff began evacuating the site. She told how she heard what sounded like gunshots and saw an air ambulance circling above. “There was a big, black tarpaulin over the tiger enclosure,” she said.
Another visitor, Tia Hanson, described the chaos: “It looks as if someone has jumped into the enclosure. People are saying they heard a gunshot and they say someone either jumped in, or fell in. There was an air ambulance and police everywhere. We’ve all been made to leave. It wasn’t nice, there were lots of people who looked really upset.”
The park, which is home to Amur tigers including a male named Altai and a female named Tschuna, has stressed that the safety of visitors, staff and animals remains its highest priority. Black screening was put up around the enclosure as the site was cleared.
Police have urged the public not to share the distressing videos now circulating online. The man’s identity has not been released, and inquiries continue into exactly how and why he entered the enclosure.
The incident has left families who were enjoying a Saturday outing at the popular attraction shaken, with the park now shut for the rest of the weekend while investigations continue.
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