Man dies after entering tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

A man died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday 10 October, South Yorkshire Police said. Emergency services were called at about 13:35 British Summer Time after reports that the man had entered the enclosure. Police said a tiger attacked him, and medics pronounced him dead at the scene.

The force initially reported that the man had suffered serious injuries. Later statements confirmed his death despite the efforts of medical staff, according to BBC News and The Guardian. The two accounts describe successive stages of the same incident, rather than separate attacks. Police said they had informed his family and that officers were providing support.

The tiger was not injured and stayed inside the enclosure, police said. Officers reported no wider danger to visitors or the public. The wildlife park evacuated visitors following the incident and shut its gates. The park said it would remain closed for the rest of the weekend while staff worked with police to establish what had happened.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it dispatched two road ambulances, an air ambulance and a doctor. The wildlife park said it activated emergency procedures when staff became aware of the incident. Police remained at the site carrying out enquiries after the evacuation. Neither police nor the park had published a conclusion about how the man gained access to the enclosure in the supplied reports.

South Yorkshire Police also appealed to people not to share footage of the attack circulating online. The force did not publicly identify the man in the material provided. The park issued a statement expressing sympathy to his relatives and said it was cooperating with the investigation.

The incident occurred at the park's Land of the Tigers attraction, which opened in 2011. BBC News said the purpose-built reserve covers two acres and houses Amur tigers. Visitor viewing areas include an elevated walkway. The available reports do not establish precisely where the man entered the animal area or whether any barriers failed.