A man has died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England, prompting the evacuation of the attraction as police investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
South Yorkshire Police said the incident occurred at about 1.35pm on Saturday, October 10, at the wildlife park near Doncaster.
“The tiger subsequently attacked the man, resulting in serious injury,” the force said in a statement.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts by emergency medical personnel who responded to the incident.
Police said the deceased’s family had been informed and was receiving support from specialist officers.
The force also dismissed concerns about the animal’s condition and any potential danger to visitors.
“Regarding rumours surrounding the condition of the tiger, the animal was uninjured and remained in the enclosure following the incident and there is no wider risk to the public,” the statement said.
The wildlife park was evacuated after the attack, while police officers remained at the scene to investigate how the man entered the enclosure.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said its emergency response procedures were activated immediately after the incident.
“We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened,” the park said in a statement, adding that the safety and wellbeing of visitors, staff and animals remained its priority.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it dispatched several emergency resources, including two land ambulances, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and a doctor, after receiving a call at about 1.30pm.
The park was closed for the remainder of the weekend.
Police also urged members of the public not to share videos of the incident circulating online as investigations continued.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park houses several animal species, including lions, giraffes, tigers, leopards and black rhinos. Its Land of the Tigers section features a 300-metre raised walkway that allows visitors to view the animals in their habitat.
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