Visitors described the moments before the deadly encounter as authorities investigate how the man entered the enclosure in northern England.
DONCASTER, ENGLAND — Witnesses at Yorkshire Wildlife Park have described the tense moments before a man was fatally attacked by a tiger after entering the animal’s enclosure Saturday, an incident that led to an evacuation and a health and safety investigation.
South Yorkshire Police said officers received reports at about 1:35 p.m. Oct. 10 that a man had entered a tiger enclosure at the wildlife park near Doncaster. The tiger attacked him, leaving him seriously injured. Emergency medical personnel responded, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the tiger was not injured, remained inside the enclosure and posed no wider danger to the public.
Accounts from visitors provide a clearer picture of the minutes surrounding the attack. Anthony Hunt, who was visiting the park with his girlfriend, told Sky News that they had been photographing the tiger, named Altai, when they noticed the animal’s behavior suddenly change. Hunt said the tiger focused its attention on something inside the enclosure before the couple realized a person had entered the area.
Hunt said the man crouched down after entering the enclosure while the tiger remained nearby. The animal then moved toward him. People watching from outside the enclosure shouted warnings and urged the man to protect himself, according to witness accounts. Hunt said the scene unfolded quickly and left visitors shaken. Another woman at the park had apparently tried to stop the man before he entered, Hunt said, describing her as distressed afterward.
Another visitor, Alex Underwood, told Sky News that he had seen the man shortly before the incident while standing on a bridge overlooking the tiger habitat. Underwood said the man had been alone, wearing earphones and dancing, and asked Underwood’s girlfriend to take photographs of him. Underwood said he and his girlfriend left the bridge soon afterward and later heard that someone had entered the enclosure.
Police have not publicly explained why the man entered the enclosure, and authorities have not announced a conclusion about the circumstances that led to his actions. Reports describing his behavior before the attack are witness observations and do not establish a motive or medical explanation. Police initially said the man’s family had been notified and was receiving support from specialist officers.
The park activated its emergency procedures after the incident and was evacuated while police carried out inquiries. Yorkshire Wildlife Park said it was working closely with authorities and that the safety and well-being of visitors, employees and animals remained its highest priority. Staff members affected by the incident were also offered specialist support.
Altai, an Amur tiger also commonly called a Siberian tiger, will not be euthanized, according to the wildlife park. The park’s Land of the Tigers exhibit opened in 2011 and includes a roughly two-acre habitat with a raised visitor walkway. Authorities have not announced findings showing that the animal escaped its enclosure or posed a danger beyond the secured habitat during the incident.
South Yorkshire Police also urged people not to circulate videos of the fatal encounter that appeared online after the attack. Some recordings showed portions of the incident and drew widespread attention on social media. Police asked the public to avoid sharing the footage as the man’s family dealt with his death.
The City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the wildlife park, has opened a health and safety investigation. Council officials said they are working with police, health agencies and the park while examining the circumstances surrounding the death. No findings from that investigation had been announced by Tuesday.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed Tuesday while authorities continued their work. Its published schedule listed the park as due to reopen Wednesday, while officials continued examining how the man entered the tiger enclosure and what happened before the fatal attack.
Author note: Last updated October 13, 2026.