Man dies after entering tiger enclosure at UK wildlife park

A man died on Saturday after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, northern England, and being attacked by the animal, prompting an emergency response and the evacuation of the park.

South Yorkshire Police said emergency services were called shortly after 1.30pm local time after the man climbed into the enclosure. He sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts by medical personnel.

Police said the man's family had been informed and was receiving support from specialist officers.

The incident occurred at the park's Land of the Tigers attraction, which houses Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with about 500 remaining in the wild, according to the source reports.

Witnesses describe moments before attack

Visitors said the man had been seen near the enclosure shortly before entering it.

Ella Ford, 24, from Moreton in Wirral, told the BBC she was visiting the park with her boyfriend and filming the tiger shortly before the incident.

She said she saw a man wearing headphones pacing near the enclosure before climbing onto the barriers. A woman was nearby talking to him, she said.

The man then jumped into the enclosure, crawled in front of the tiger, which was perched nearby, and lay down, Ford told the BBC.

She said she subsequently saw the tiger grab the man, who was shouting for help.

Ford estimated that between 15 and 20 people were on the raised visitor walkway overlooking the enclosure. Staff quickly evacuated the area before clearing the wider park, she said.

She also recalled seeing a member of the public banging on the fence in an attempt to deter the tiger, but said it appeared to have no effect.

Another visitor, Del Taylor, told The Sun, in an account reported by news.com.au, that the man had asked her to take a photograph of him while he watched Altai, a five-year-old tiger, from the viewing platform.

Taylor said her boyfriend was filming their visit as she took the photograph. In the footage, the man could be heard laughing and saying, “one more, one more, one more”, before thanking her.

The couple then left. Moments later, the man climbed over the approximately one-metre-high viewing barrier and entered the enclosure, Taylor said.

“He was completely alone,” she said.

Police say tiger poses no wider public risk

South Yorkshire Police said the tiger attacked the man and inflicted “serious injury”.

The force confirmed that the animal was uninjured and remained inside the enclosure after the incident.

“There is no wider risk to the public,” police said.

Some visitors reported hearing gunshots during the evacuation. Becky, a visitor quoted by The Mirror in a report carried by news.com.au, said she heard four shots before an air ambulance attempted to land and a member of park staff told visitors to leave.

Other witnesses described two warning shots being fired in an attempt to scare the tiger away from the man.

Police said officers remained at the scene to conduct inquiries and urged the public not to share videos of the attack circulating on social media.

Wildlife park says tiger will not be euthanised

Yorkshire Wildlife Park said its emergency response procedures had been activated immediately and that it was working with the authorities to establish what had happened.

“The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority,” the park said in an initial statement.

In an update the following day, the park offered condolences to the man's family and addressed concerns about Altai's condition.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly lost his life,” it said.

The park added that it had received numerous enquiries about the tiger.

“We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident,” it said.

Staff who were present during the incident were deeply affected and would receive specialist support, the park added. The park remained closed following the incident.

Enclosure is part of endangered tiger attraction

Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, and its Land of the Tigers attraction opened in 2011.

The purpose-built reserve covers two acres and houses Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with about 500 individuals remaining in the wild, according to the source reports.

The park's website describes a raised boardwalk approximately 300 metres long, allowing visitors to view the animals from above the enclosure. Photographs show an elevated walkway and barriers separating visitors from the area where the tigers roam.

UK politicians express condolences

Ed Miliband, Britain's Foreign Secretary and Member of Parliament for Doncaster North, said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.

He offered his “thoughts and deepest condolences to the family of the individual who died” and thanked emergency services and park staff who responded.

Lee Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, also expressed his condolences and thanked emergency services for their response.

In a statement shared on social media, Pitcher said he was “deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident that has taken place at Yorkshire Wildlife Park today”.