A man has died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, South Yorkshire Police have confirmed. Witnesses described how the man was fatally attacked by a tiger after leaping into its pen, despite attempts by a woman to stop him.
The incident prompted the evacuation of the park and its closure over the weekend while authorities investigate the circumstances.
According to Anthony Hunt and Scarlet Hogan, who were visiting the park, a woman "desperately tried to pull back" the victim as he attempted to jump into the compound. Mr Hunt told The Telegraph that the man, who was with her two children, overpowered the woman before leaping from a bridge into the tiger pen.
Ms Hogan recounted seeing the man "praying to the tiger, bowing down to it," noting that the animal appeared "a bit confused." She added, "Up until he got attacked, it was like he was in a trance, not in reality at all." She described the man having "arms wide open ready for the tiger to attack him," with the last thing they saw being "the tiger’s jaw on his neck."
Further witnesses described the man appearing to "psyche himself up" and "dancing" while listening to music through his AirPods shortly before entering the enclosure. One woman stated that he asked a "total stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background" just prior to the incident, suggesting it might have been "the last photo on his phone." She speculated, "I honestly do think he just wanted to play with the tiger."
Emergency services were called to the scene. Karmelle Pelham, from Worksop, who was at the park with her family, told the BBC that they were evacuated from a lemur enclosure and heard what sounded like "several gunshots" before seeing helicopters overhead. She observed "big black tarpaulin over the tiger enclosure" and praised staff for handling the evacuation without panicking anyone.
Another witness, Becky, told The Mirror that she heard four gunshots during the evacuation. It was later clarified by a witness to The Mirror that shots were fired into the air to create noise and distract the tiger, not to injure it. "The animal wasn't shot and is absolutely fine and not injured," the witness stated, adding that the incident was "over within minutes" and park keepers "did everything they could." The witness also noted the substantial size of the enclosure barriers, suggesting a deliberate effort was required to enter.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed the man sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. They have urged members of the public not to share distressing footage of the incident that is circulating on social media, stating they are "aware of footage circulating online" and asking people not to engage with it.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park issued a statement expressing "thoughts and sympathies with the family of the man who sadly lost his life." The park thanked those who had expressed concern and announced its closure for Sunday to allow staff, who were "deeply affected by events," to receive specialist support.
The park also reassured the public regarding the tiger, named Altai, stating, "Many, many people have 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."
Altai arrived at the park in March 2025, travelling from the Norwegian Zoo, Dyreparken. At the time of his arrival, director of animals Charlotte MacDonald described him as a "beautiful, huge cat and very calm and receptive," predicting he would be "a massive hit with our visitors."
In their latest statement, Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed it would remain closed today (Sunday) and is "working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened." The park reiterated that "The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority." It remains unclear whether the zoo will reopen on Monday morning.
