Yorkshire wildlife park announces reopening after fatal tiger attack

Yorkshire Wildlife Park will open its gates again on Friday, almost a week after a young man was killed by a tiger in an enclosure at the Doncaster attraction.

The park, which has been closed since the incident, confirmed the reopening would include the “Land of the Tiger” area.

William Chapman, 24, was mauled to death at the park on Saturday.

An inquest into his death opened on Thursday at Doncaster Coroner's Court.

The hearing was told that Mr Chapman had a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

He had suffered previous bouts of psychosis, the court heard.

His family expressed concerns about his contact with mental health services leading up to his death.

An initial post-mortem examination recorded multiple traumatic injuries as the cause of his death, the hearing was told.

City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the park, is carrying out a health and safety investigation, the hearing was told.

The council said it would share the outcome of that investigation with the coroner.

The park, known as YWP, confirmed it will reopen on Friday following “engagement with the relevant authorities”.

In a previous statement on social media, the wildlife park said “many, many people” had contacted it about Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident.

It confirmed he is “safe and well” and will not be euthanised.

A statement said that 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 enquiries 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.”