The Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster has remained closed for a third day as authorities investigate the death of a man who was attacked by a tiger. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when the man climbed down from a walkway into the enclosure.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed that the victim died at the scene and are providing support to his family. An eyewitness told reporters they observed the man wearing headphones and pacing near the barrier before he entered the enclosure and was attacked.
A spokesperson for the park stated that it would stay closed on Monday out of respect for the events over the weekend. In a message to ticket holders, the organization assured customers that those with existing bookings would be contacted within five days to arrange rescheduling.
The park confirmed that the rare Amur tiger involved, named Altai, remains housed in its enclosure and will not be put down. While vehicles were seen entering and exiting the site on Monday, no visitors were allowed inside.
Dr. Campbell Murn, a lecturer at the University of Reading and former member of the government’s zoo expert committee, described the incident as tragic but noted that determined individuals can bypass zoo security measures. He compared the breach to a determined thief breaking into a home despite security systems, emphasizing that zoos strive to balance public safety with an immersive wildlife experience.
Conversely, the Born Free Foundation has called for an urgent review of how the man gained access to the enclosure. Will Travers, co-founder of the charity, argued that displaying dangerous wild animals creates an “unnatural” relationship between humans and animals, stating that the industry’s emphasis on close-up encounters carries inherent risks.
Does this mean zoos should ban all big cats? I get the safety concerns, but closing the whole park feels like overkill.
Heartbreaking. The park’s decision to keep Altai alive shows it was truly a preventable human error, not an animal aggression.