Tiger attack witness reveals she took man's picture moments before he jumped into the enclosure - as Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirms it will remain closed today

A woman claiming to have taken the final picture of the man who entered a tiger enclosure and was savaged to death has said he was 'alone' and 'dancing'.

The victim, believed to be in his 20s, climbed into the enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park around lunchtime on Saturday and began 'praying and bowing' on all fours according to witnesses.

Footage circulating online shows Altai, the 200kg Amur tiger, clawing and 'ragdolling' the man, as the zoo was swiftly evacuated soon as emergency services responded.

The zoo remained closed on Sunday and confirmed this morning it will remain shut today as investigations continue into the man's death.

One video shared to social media appears to have the voice of the unidentified man asking people to take a photo of him with the tiger, before the incident took place.

Del Taylor had been observing the tiger from a viewing platform that overlooks the pen when the victim asked her: 'Excuse me, can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?'

Ms Taylor told The Sun that she took several photos of the man with Altai in the background, after the victim asked three times for 'one more' shot. He then says 'thank you, lady'.

Ms Taylor said the man had been 'completely alone' and was at first 'dancing on the bridge overlooking the enclosure'. 

A man was mauled to death by Altai (pictured), a Siberian tiger, after climbing into the big cat's enclosure

The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday after a tiger mauled a man who entered its enclosure

Several other visitors to the park have described the victim behaving 'strangely' before he entered the compound – and suggested he may have had learning difficulties or mental health problems.

During the attack, the man screamed 'stop' several times and also appeared to make a fist and wag his little finger - which has been identified as resembling the gesture for 'bad' in Makaton, a sign language system often used by those with communication difficulties. 

Zookeepers were said to have done 'everything they could' to drive Altai off, firing five loud acoustic gun blasts in attempts to scare him, and have since confirmed that Altai will not be euthanised in the wake of the incident.

An animal keeper told Sky News that the tiger was probably 'just playing' when it pawed the man and could have 'probably killed him within 10 seconds... if it really wanted to kill him'.

Reece Oliver said Altai would have used 'his predatory instinct, seeing what it was, what he was, and unfortunately it ended up being a fatal attack' as typically the only things that would enter the enclosure would be enrichment toys or food.

An animal ranger at the zoo, Charlotte Pywell, previously said: 'It was not the tiger's fault at all. It was just something else to play with. The keepers are all distraught. It was not a very nice day.' 

Two ambulances and a helicopter rushed to the park at 1.35pm, with a 'black screen' erected around the enclosure as lifesaving treatment was attempted. The man was later pronounced dead. 

Anthony Hunt, 22, a university graduate, and Scarlet Hogan, 21, a pharmacy worker, first encountered the man as they parked at the zoo where they spotted the suspected victim 'dancing as he was walking with AirPods in' but 'thought he might have special needs, so we forgot about it'.

The pair spotted the man dancing later on, near to the enclosure, and behaving erratically.

He then scaled the large fence surrounding the enclosure before dropping roughly 12ft to the ground and walking in 'nonchalantly', although another report said a woman tried to haul the man back from clambering off the side of the bridge but 'wasn't strong enough'.

Ms Hogan described how the tiger's behaviour immediately shifted and 'he went into stalk mode', while the man appeared to take selfies before 'getting on the floor and starting to pray'. 

'It looked like a performance,' Mr Hunt said. 'He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing area.

'He had his arms wide open like he was saying: "Come here, tiger. Kill me". Then the tiger came and started to attack him.

'He started to fight back and screamed. It was like he was just detached from reality. The last thing we saw was the tiger on his neck.'

Ms Hogan said: 'It is very bizarre and weird. He was speaking in a different language while he was praying.'

They said the man seemed to be 'on a mission', and the ritual he performed near the tiger appeared to be 'religious'.

 In a statement, the park said: 'Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger.

'We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.

'We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday's tragic incident.'

One visitor to the zoo said she saw three female zookeepers sitting on the floor in the wake of the attack, one with her head buried in her hands.

South Yorkshire Police said it is aware of the footage of the attack online and asked people not to share it. 

Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, with the Land of the Tigers attraction opening in 2011.

Photos of the enclosure on the park’s website show a high walkway for visitors and fencing above the section where the tigers can roam. 

The attraction is a purpose-built, two-acre reserve for Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with around 500 left in the wild.