A man died Saturday afternoon after he entered a tiger enclosure at a wildlife park in northern England and was attacked by one of the animals, police said.
South Yorkshire Police said officers were called at 1:35 p.m. local time to reports of a man entering the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster.
“The tiger subsequently attacked the man, resulting in serious injury,” police said in a statement. “Emergency services attended and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The man’s family has been informed and is being supported by specialist officers. “Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time,” police said.
Police confirmed the tiger was uninjured and remained in the enclosure following the incident, posing “no wider risk to the public.”
The park later identified the tiger as Altai, an Amur tiger, and said he “is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.”
The park was evacuated and closed for the weekend. A Yorkshire Wildlife Park spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by today’s tragic incident. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the person who has lost their life.”
The park added it was “working closely with the police and relevant authorities” to establish what happened and asked that the privacy of those affected be respected.
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Witness Marie Miller told Yorkshire Live she saw the man on a bridge with AirPods in, “dancing” and “happily enjoying seeing the tiger” about 20 minutes before the attack.
She said he “obviously wasn’t with anyone and he asked a total stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background.”
Another visitor, who remained anonymous, described the evacuation as “frightening and confusing.” She said: “At first, we were all scared and confused because we had no idea what was going on. Different routes had been closed off, and staff were positioned around the park directing visitors where to go.”
Police said they were aware of videos circulating online showing the attack and encouraged people not to share the “distressing” footage.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, with its “Land of the Tigers” attraction launching in 2011.
The enclosure is a purpose-built two-acre reserve for endangered Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, and includes a 300-meter raised walkway allowing visitors to observe the animals.
