A man died Saturday after climbing into the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England, in an attack that visitors filmed and that has spread across social media. The tiger, an endangered Amur tiger named Altai, wasn’t hurt, and the park says it will not be put down.
Police were called at 1:35 p.m. after reports that a man had entered the enclosure at the park near Doncaster. “Despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene,” South Yorkshire Police said, CNN reported.
What happened at Yorkshire Wildlife Park?
Witnesses told British media the man seemed agitated before he went into the enclosure, a 2-acre reserve built for Amur tigers, also called Siberian tigers, the AP reported. Video shared online shows a man in a black hoodie kneeling in front of a tiger before it attacked. Police haven’t explained why he went in, and haven’t released his name. His family has been told and is being supported by specialist officers.
The park was evacuated and closed for the weekend. “Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly lost his life,” the park said Sunday. It said staff were “deeply affected” and getting support.
Will the tiger be put down?
No. The park said “many many” people had contacted it about Altai. “We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident,” it said. Police said the tiger stayed inside the enclosure the whole time and there was no risk to the public. Amur tigers are endangered, with only a few hundred left in the wild.
Should people share the tiger attack video?
Please don’t. The clips spreading online show a man’s death, and his family is still grieving. Police are investigating, and anyone with information or footage should send it to South Yorkshire Police rather than posting it.
The BeezLoop Take
The tiger did what tigers do, and the park and police are right not to punish the animal for it. Altai was in his enclosure, the barriers held for everyone who stayed on the right side, and keeping endangered tigers in well-run parks is part of how the species survives.
The harder question is about the man. Witnesses describe someone in distress, and he climbed into a tiger enclosure in front of families. That’s not a viral moment. It’s a person who needed help, and the millions of views on the video say more about us than about him.
The open question: what was going on in this man’s life before Saturday, and could anyone have stepped in?
Sources: CNN · Associated Press via NBC News · CBS News · Al Jazeera · 6abc (video)
