A man died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday afternoon. Police received a call at 1.35pm after the man was seen inside the enclosure. The tiger attacked him, causing serious injuries. Despite efforts from emergency services, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.
The wildlife park confirmed on Sunday that the tiger, named Altai, will not be euthanised following the incident. In a statement, the park said staff would receive specialist support and the facility would remain closed that day. The park offered "heartfelt sympathies" to the man's family.
Ed Miliband, Foreign Secretary and MP for Doncaster North, whose constituency includes the park, said he was "deeply saddened" by the death. He thanked emergency services and park staff for their response.
Visitors reported confusion during evacuation. One unidentified visitor told South West News Service: "At first, we were all scared and confused because we had no idea what was going on." She said different routes had been closed and staff directed visitors around the park. She described the worst part as "not knowing what was happening."
Another visitor, Marie Miller, posted on Facebook that she had seen the man before the incident. She wrote: "The man who I saw on the bridge with his earpods in dancing was happily enjoying seeing the tiger." Miller said the man had asked a stranger to photograph him with the tiger in the background.
An unidentified visitor reported seeing police surrounding a young man in the tiger enclosure and an air ambulance outside the park, though she could not confirm whether it transported anyone.
South Yorkshire police said the man's family was informed on Saturday and supported by specialist officers. The force has urged people not to share videos of the incident circulating online.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which opened in 2009, houses the Land of the Tigers attraction on a 2-acre reserve dedicated to Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with approximately 500 remaining in the wild.