Wildlife park reopens after man killed by tiger

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has reopened for the first time since a man was killed by a tiger in an enclosure.

William Chapman, 24, was mauled to death at the park near Doncaster on Saturday. The public were evacuated after the incident with the attraction closed since then.

An inquest that opened into Chapman's death on Thursday heard of his history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. His family expressed concerns about his contact with mental health services leading up to his death.

City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the park, is carrying out a health and safety investigation and said it would share the outcome with the coroner, the inquest was told.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed on Thursday it would reopen following "engagement with the relevant authorities".

In a previous statement on social media, the park said "many, many people" had contacted it about Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident, and it confirmed he was "safe and well" and would not be euthanised.

A spokesperson said its "Land of the Tiger" area, where Saturday's incident took place in front of staff and members of the public, was also open.

Several hundred cars could be seen at the popular attraction on Friday morning, with many young families and wildlife enthusiasts carrying cameras heading in.

Among them was Taylor, who was visiting with her partner and their two children, aged one and three, for the youngest child's birthday.

She said: "We just want to support the centre, it's just very sad and we feel for staff who must have been through a lot.

"We will go to the tiger enclosure and feel safe."

Candice Ramos, who explained she was a regular visitor with her son to the park, said she had noticed more staff than usual stationed at the Land of the Tiger area.

"There's an awareness of what's happened. The staff are very proactive in saying, 'it's a new start'," she said.

"It's not to say, 'forget what's happened', but to move forward and carry on."

The mother-of-two, 32, described the popular attraction as "an amazing place", adding: "My kids love animals and dinosaurs, so it's right up their alley."

Jenny Hobson, from nearby Rossington, also said she regularly attended the park with her family.

"When we first went in, I had tears come to my eyes," said the 82-year-old great grandmother.

"We just had a look over [at the Land of the Tiger] and I thought for the man who lost his life."

A park statement said Altai's "ongoing welfare at YWP remains a priority of our experienced animal care team".

The statement went on to say: "We continue to assist South Yorkshire Police and other relevant agencies with their ongoing inquiries into the circumstances of this tragic incident.

"As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time.

"We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected.

"As inquiries remain ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on circumstances at this time.

"We would like to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and support during this difficult period, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the park."

Chapman's inquest at Doncaster Coroner's Court was told he had suffered previous bouts of psychosis.

The self-employed online trader was born in Chichester, West Sussex, and living in Doncaster at the time of his death.

He had been under the care of the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust but was "highly functioning and independent with no care requirements", the inquest heard.

A trust spokesperson said it had launched an investigation after Chapman's death but would not comment further due to patient confidentiality.

The inquest was adjourned until 18 March 2027.

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