Yorkshire Wildlife Park will reopen to visitors on Friday, days after 23-year-old William Chapman was killed by a tiger inside the Land of the Tiger attraction.
Chapman entered the enclosure and approached Altai on Saturday afternoon while visitors watched. South Yorkshire Police and other agencies are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the death.
The park said staff had received specialist trauma support following what it described as a “tragic incident”. It asked visitors to be understanding towards employees returning to work after the attack.
“The park, including Land of the Tiger, reopens to visitors following engagement with relevant authorities,” Yorkshire Wildlife Park said in a statement.
“As we welcome visitors back, we would ask that everyone be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time.”
Altai the tiger will not be euthanised
The wildlife park also confirmed that Altai would not be put down as a result of Chapman’s death.
“Many, many people also contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident,” it said.
The park added that the tiger’s ongoing welfare remained a priority for its animal care team.
Witnesses told of seeing Chapman climb into the enclosure. Anthony Hunt and his partner, Scarlet Hogan, said a woman visiting with two children had desperately tried to pull him back.
Hogan said Chapman appeared to pray to the tiger and bow down in front of it. “The tiger looked a bit confused,” she said. “It was quite bad. We were just stood there, frozen.”
She said the last thing she and Hunt saw was the tiger’s jaw around Chapman’s neck. Another visitor claimed Chapman had earlier been dancing while wearing AirPods and appeared to be “psyching himself up”.
Chapman’s family said they were “utterly devastated” and struggling to come to terms with his death.
“William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved — and William loved them back,” they said.
His family said they hoped the relevant authorities would establish why he entered the enclosure. They added that it would be for the coroner to determine whether his mental illness played a part in his death, and asked the public to respect that process.
Chapman had attended a stage school in north-west London and appeared in the television production May Contain Nuts and the BBC series True Stories.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park extended its condolences to his family, friends and loved ones, while saying that the safety and wellbeing of visitors, staff and animals remained its highest priority.
