Witnesses have described how a man who was mauled to death by a Siberian tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park appeared to pray and bow on all fours before entering the animal’s enclosure.
The man, believed to be in his 20s, climbed into the compound at lunchtime on Saturday and was fatally injured by Altai, a 30-stone tiger, in front of families visiting the park.
Visitors said he had behaved unusually before scaling the enclosure, with some suggesting he may have had learning difficulties or mental health problems. Those claims have not been confirmed.
Anthony Hunt, 22, said he and Scarlet Hogan, 21, first noticed the man as they arrived at the park. He was walking quickly, dancing and wearing AirPods, before passing their car again at speed.
“We thought he might have special needs, so we forgot about it,” Mr Hunt said.
The couple later saw him near the tiger enclosure, where he was dancing with his phone while both animals rested on a wooden platform.
Other visitors said the man climbed down from the side of a bridge. One woman reportedly tried to pull him back up but was unable to do so. He then scaled the large fence, dropped about 12ft into the enclosure and walked towards the tigers.
Ms Hogan said Altai’s behaviour changed immediately, with the tiger appearing to enter “stalk mode”. The man appeared to take selfies before getting down on the ground.
“It looked like a performance,” Mr Hunt said. “He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing area.
“He was on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger. It was like he was waiting for the tiger.”
Mr Hunt said the man then held his arms wide before the tiger approached and attacked him. He said the victim initially fought back and screamed, with the last thing he saw being the tiger on the man’s neck.
Ms Hogan said the man had appeared to be speaking in another language while praying. The witnesses said his actions seemed religious, although there has been no official explanation of what prompted him to enter the enclosure.
Keepers tried to drive tiger away
Footage shared on social media appeared to show Altai clawing at the man and dragging him. The victim was heard shouting “stop” several times, causing the tiger to retreat briefly, before it returned and inflicted fatal injuries.
During the attack, the man also appeared to make a fist and move his little finger. This was described as resembling a gesture for “bad” in Makaton, a sign language system often used by people with communication difficulties.
Zookeepers fired five loud acoustic gun blasts in an attempt to scare Altai away. Two ambulances and a helicopter were sent to the park at about 1.35pm, while a black screen was placed around the enclosure as treatment was attempted.
The man was later pronounced dead. A witness said three female members of staff were seen sitting on the floor afterwards, with one holding her head in her hands.
A separate clip appeared to show the man asking another visitor to take a photograph of him with the tiger in the background. He asked for “one more” picture three times before thanking the woman.
Marie Miller, who said she had seen him near the enclosure, described him as dancing while watching the tiger and said he appeared to be alone. She said she did not know whether he had been with a carer or family member.
Animal ranger Charlotte Pywell said the incident was not the tiger’s fault. “It was just something else to play with,” she said, adding that the keepers were “all distraught”.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park was closed on Sunday. The park said Altai was safe and well and would not be euthanised as a result of the incident.
