William Chapman, the young man killed in a tiger attack at a wildlife park in Britain, was identified on Tuesday as reports emerged that he had filmed himself entering the big cat’s enclosure.
Chapman, described by police as a “vulnerable” man in his early 20s, visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England alone on Saturday.
According to The Sun, he recorded footage from inside the enclosure shortly before the 420-pound tiger attacked him. The video reportedly captured his final moments near the animal.
Footage reportedly recorded by Chapman shows Altai, the Siberian tiger that killed him, resting on a wooden platform inside the enclosure shortly before the attack.
One visitor told The Telegraph that Chapman had been “dancing erratically” earlier that day before climbing into the enclosure, despite attempts by other visitors to stop him. According to the witness, a mother who was visiting the park with her children tried to grab Chapman as he climbed over the fence.
“He overpowered her and jumped” into the enclosure, the visitor said.
The witness added that the woman appeared frightened when they spoke to her afterwards. “I tried to pull him back,” she reportedly told them, explaining that she may have been unwilling to put her own life at risk.
Other footage reportedly captured the moments when Altai lunged at Chapman in front of families and children. Witnesses said Chapman could be heard repeatedly shouting “no” and “stop” as the situation unfolded. One person recalled seeing blood and said the tiger began dragging Chapman by the neck.
Park staff reportedly fired two warning shots into the air with a shotgun in an attempt to frighten Altai away and reach Chapman.
Emergency services were called shortly after 1.30pm local time, but Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene. Park staff moved quickly to evacuate visitors, while screens were placed around his body to shield the scene from public view.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed on Sunday as staff members affected by the incident received specialist support.
On Monday, park officials confirmed that Altai was “safe and well” and would not be euthanised following the fatal attack.
Source: Various
