A man has died after being attacked by a Siberian tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, having entered the animal’s enclosure while families watched in horror.
South Yorkshire Police said officers received reports at 1.35pm that a man had entered the enclosure. The tiger subsequently attacked him, causing serious injuries.
Emergency services, including two road ambulances and an air ambulance, attended the scene. Paramedics carrying blood transfusion kits tried to save the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim, who had not been named, was thought to be in his 20s. His family has been informed and is being supported by specialist officers, police said.
Witnesses said the man climbed a fence before being seized by the tiger within seconds. One described him as “agitated”, while another said he appeared to “psyche himself up” by performing a dance in the viewing area before entering the enclosure.
Footage shared online appeared to show the tiger, named Altai, circling the man on the grass. The victim was heard saying “no, no”, while visitors shouted in an attempt to distract the animal.
He was also seen kneeling with his arms outstretched and pointing towards the tiger, repeatedly shouting “stop”. A woman could be heard saying: “I tried to stop him.”
Keepers rushed to the enclosure with gas-powered acoustic guns and fired five loud blasts in an attempt to drive the tiger away. Staff later covered part of the enclosure with black plastic sheeting.
Police urged people not to share footage of the attack. They said the tiger was uninjured and remained inside its enclosure, with no wider risk to the public.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park closed after tiger attack
Visitors were evacuated and the wildlife park was closed for the remainder of the day. It was due to remain shut the following day while the authorities worked to establish what had happened.
A Yorkshire Wildlife Park spokesman said the attraction’s emergency response procedures had been activated immediately and that emergency services had attended.
“We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened,” the spokesman said. “The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority.”
Altai arrived at the park in February 2025 from Dyreparken Zoo in Norway, where he was born.
The park’s Land of the Tigers area is a two-acre reserve for Siberian tigers. It has a raised walkway for visitors and fencing around the area where the animals roam.
