Yorkshire Wildlife Park will remain closed today as authorities continue their investigation into the tragic death of a man who was mauled by a tiger over the weekend.
Emergency services were scrambled to the Doncaster site at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday following reports that a man in his early 20s had entered the tiger enclosure. Despite the immediate response from park staff and emergency crews, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has since been informed of the tragedy.
The park was evacuated following the incident and was initially scheduled to reopen following the weekend. However, park management announced this morning that the facility will remain closed for the entire day on Monday, October 12, to allow staff members—many of whom were deeply affected by the event—to receive specialist support.
“Due to the serious incident that occurred at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, the 10th of October, unfortunately the park remains closed for the whole of Monday,” the park said in a statement to ticketholders. Management apologized for the short notice and confirmed that anyone with a booking for today will be contacted within the next five working days regarding rescheduling.
The animal involved in the attack, a five-year-old Amur tiger named Altai, will not be euthanized. Park officials moved quickly to address public concern regarding the tiger’s fate, confirming that he remains “safe and well.” Altai, one of two Amur tigers at the park, is described by keepers as a calm and well-behaved animal who enjoys training and playing in the water.
Witness accounts and footage of the incident suggest the man acted alone. Before jumping into the enclosure, he was reportedly seen dancing on a bridge before asking a fellow visitor to take a photograph of him with the tiger. The woman, identified as Del Taylor, later revealed she took photos of the man with his back to the enclosure, unaware of his intentions. Witnesses described the man climbing over a meter-high viewing barrier before dropping into the pen, where he was immediately grabbed by the animal.
While the park remains shuttered, South Yorkshire Police are conducting a thorough investigation into how a member of the public was able to breach the barriers of the “Land of the Tigers” enclosure. Reports indicate that at least one other visitor attempted to intervene as the man climbed the barrier, but she was unable to stop him.
The park expressed their “heartfelt sympathies” to the victim’s family, stating that they are cooperating fully with authorities as the investigation into the security breach continues.
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