Altai the tiger has been seen for the first time since a man was mauled to death at a zoo in Yorkshire.
William Chapman, 24, was killed after climbing into the big cat’s enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday, where he was attacked by one of the park’s two rare Amur tigers, a 200kg-male named Altai.
The former child star, who was classed as vulnerable with a history of ‘significant’ mental health problems, was declared dead at the scene, with his family raising concerns over the treatment he had received prior to his death.
The park had remained closed since the incident but reopened to visitors on Friday morning.
The Land of the Tigers exhibit is also allowing guests again, as park bosses ask for guests to be ‘understanding and respectful’ to staff.
After the park opened its doors, a steady stream of visitors were seen entering the zoo and making their way past the tiger enclosure, with more than a dozen on the viewing platform at any one time.
Zookeepers were on hand to greet guests and answer questions about the big cats as they watched over the raised viewing platform.
Altai was seen resting in the shade before taking a large hunk of meat given to him by staff. One keeper said the big cat was ‘doing fine’ in the wake of the tragedy.
Altai, the 200kg Amur tiger which attacked Mr Chapman, is seen in his enclosure on Friday as the park reopened
Altai is seen at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Friday morning after the attraction reopened to visitors
Zookeepers confirmed today that Altai is ‘doing fine’ – the park previously pledged he would not euthanised
The park had remained closed since the incident but reopened to visitors on Friday morning
A steady stream of visitors walked past the tiger enclosure after it reopened on Friday
Some visitors were spotted queuing outside the park ahead of time today, with many saying on social media they were keen to offer their support to staff in the wake of the attack.
A sign outside the entrance featuring a picture of a cheetah advertised a ‘today only’ deal in which they could upgrade their ticket to an annual membership for £60.
Countless posts also expressed love for Altai, with supporters saying the ‘beautiful’ tiger did ‘nothing wrong’.
One said: ‘Such a stunning boy… it was a terrible tragedy but we must remember that he is still a wild animal and their instinct kicks in when someone invades their territory.
‘So heartbreaking for the family but I am glad that the park made the right decision regarding the fate of that beautiful tiger.’
In the minutes before the fatal attack, Mr Chapman had been dancing on a raised walkway above the tiger pen while listening to music in his AirPods, and asked a park visitor to take photos of him with Altai in the background.
Mr Chapman, who guests described as not seeming ‘attached to reality’, then climbed two fences to enter the enclosure, where he posted a final video to Instagram of himself approaching the tiger.
After it attacked, zookeepers are said to have done everything they could to stop Altai, including firing five loud acoustic gun blasts in an attempt to scare him.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at 1.35pm, but Mr Chapman was confirmed to have died at the scene.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park later confirmed Altai was uninjured and would not be euthanised as a result of the incident.
A statement from Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort yesterday announced it would be reopening today, and said: ‘Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman who sadly lost his life.
William Chapman, 24, who had a history of mental illness, was mauled to death after entering the tiger pen at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday
Visitors returned to the park on Friday after its closure since October 10
Signs at the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park warn visitors not to lean over the barrier
A small number of guests queued up outside the park before opening today, as bosses advertised a ‘today only’ annual membership offer
Zookeepers were said to have done ‘everything they could’ to drive the tiger away from Mr Chapman, firing five loud gun blasts in an attempt to scare him
An air ambulance and police van arriving at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday afternoon
‘The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff team and animals remain our highest priority.’
It added: ‘As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time.
‘We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected.’
At an inquest opening on Thursday, it was heard that following a post-mortem, Mr Chapman’s provisional cause of death was listed as ‘multiple traumatic injuries’ after his encounter with the tiger.
It heard that he had a history of mental illness, a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had suffered previous bouts of psychosis.
‘His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his death,’ coroner’s officer Caitlin Brookes said.
At the time of his death, Mr Chapman was a self-employed online trader who was under the care of Doncaster Mental Health Services but was ‘highly functioning and independent with no care requirements’, the inquest heard.
Ms Brookes said the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust had launched an investigation following Mr Chapman’s death.
The City of Doncaster Council, the licensing authority for the zoo, has launched a health and safety probe, while South Yorkshire Police also investigate the matter.
