Wildlife park to reopen six days after visitor killed by tiger

A wildlife park is to reopen for the first time since a man was killed by a tiger in an enclosure at the attraction.

An inquest that opened into his death on Thursday heard that Mr Chapman had a 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.

Mr Chapman had suffered previous bouts of psychosis, the hearing at Doncaster Coroner’s Court was told.

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 hearing was told.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) has confirmed it will reopen on Friday, almost a week after the fatal attack, following “engagement with the relevant authorities”.

William Chapman died in the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, in Doncaster (Family Handout/PA)

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

On Thursday, the park – which has been closed since the incident – confirmed that it will reopen on Friday, including the “Land of the Tiger” area.

A 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 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.”