The Yorkshire Wildlife Park tiger attack that killed William Chapman is now the subject of police and council investigations, with the park still closed four days after he entered the enclosure. No official explanation has been given for his actions, and authorities have asked the public not to circulate graphic footage of his death.

Chapman, described by witnesses as being in his 20s, entered the tiger enclosure shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 10. South Yorkshire Police received the call at 1:35 p.m. and said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police confirmed that Chapman had visited the park alone. His family has been informed and is receiving support from specialist officers.

What happened at the tiger enclosure?

Witness Ella Ford, 24, from Moreton in Wirral, said she saw Chapman near the enclosure wearing headphones and “pacing around.” Several minutes later, she saw him climb onto the barriers.

Ford said a woman nearby had been speaking to him before he entered the enclosure. She then saw him move toward the tiger, which was on a wooden platform, and lie down in front of it. The animal attacked, and Chapman called for help.

The Independent separately reported that Chapman “overpowered” a woman who tried to stop him entering. Ford’s account to the BBC did not say that happened, and police have not publicly confirmed either version.

Around 15 to 20 visitors were on the raised walkway at the time, Ford estimated. One person banged on the fence in an unsuccessful effort to distract the tiger. Staff cleared the walkway and then evacuated the wider park as visitors tried to understand a situation that had moved from strange to fatal within minutes.

The tiger remained securely inside the enclosure throughout, according to police.

What happened to Altai, the Amur tiger?

Yorkshire Wildlife Park identified the tiger as Altai, a rare Amur tiger that arrived at the park in 2025. The animal was not injured and will not be euthanised, the park said.

That statement also corrected early claims circulating online that the tiger had been shot. South Yorkshire Police said it remained unharmed inside its enclosure, where it continues to be held.

The park said its “thoughts and heartfelt sympathies” were with Chapman’s family.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened near Doncaster in 2009. Its Land of the Tigers exhibit followed in 2011 and covers about two acres of woodland and grassland, including a waterfall pool. Visitors view the habitat from a raised walkway stretching roughly 300 metres.

Those dimensions are designed to give the animals space while separating them from the public. They are not designed for someone deliberately crossing the barriers, which is precisely why investigators now have an unusually difficult safety question to examine.

What will the safety investigation examine?

City of Doncaster Council has opened a health and safety investigation “in line with our statutory duties.” The council licenses and inspects the wildlife park under the Zoo Licensing Act and can order a special inspection when concerns are raised by an official body.

Investigators are expected to establish how Chapman reached the enclosure, whether the barriers and warnings met licensing requirements, and how the park’s emergency procedures operated once he was inside. Authorities have not said publicly whether surveillance footage exists or identified any failure by the park.

Dan Swaine, the council’s executive director of place, said officials were working with police and health agencies. He also asked that “the privacy of those involved is respected.”

Dr Paul Rose, a lecturer in animal behaviour, said zoos rely on several layers of protection, including:

  • perimeter fencing and stand-off barriers
  • warning signs and risk assessments
  • trained staff and emergency procedures
  • physical separation between animals and visitors

Even with those controls, Rose said, “a risk of unusual human behaviour will always remain.” It is a clinical description, but an accurate one. Safety systems can reduce foreseeable risks. They cannot always account for a visitor choosing to defeat them.

Why are police warning against sharing the video?

A video posted to a social media account believed to belong to Chapman appeared to show the moments before the attack. Recorded on a mobile phone, it showed the inside of the enclosure as he approached Altai across the grass. People could be heard shouting at him to get out before the recording ended.

The account has since been removed. Police urged people not to share videos of the incident, both to protect Chapman’s family and to avoid further distress to witnesses.

The footage may still have investigative value, but public circulation serves a different purpose and a far less defensible one. Platforms, police and news organisations must now handle material that could help establish the timeline without turning a man’s death into endlessly replicated content.

As of October 13, Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed for a fourth day. No reopening date or inquest date had been announced, and police had not offered an official account of why Chapman entered the enclosure. For now, the confirmed facts stop with his death, an unharmed tiger and two investigations facing questions that online speculation cannot answer.