Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is reopening to guests today, Friday, October 16, almost a week after a visitor died following an incident inside its tiger enclosure. The man has now been publicly identified, and further details about his death emerged at an inquest this week.
The victim has been named as William Chapman, 24, who died after being attacked by a tiger at the Doncaster attraction on Saturday, October 10, 2026. According to The Independent, an inquest into his death was opened on Thursday, October 15, at Doncaster Coroner’s Court.
The court heard that Chapman had lived with mental illness, including a diagnosis of schizophrenia and earlier episodes of psychosis. His family has raised questions about the contact he had with mental health services in the period before his death. A preliminary post-mortem examination gave multiple traumatic injuries as the cause of death.
Emergency services were first alerted at around 1:35 p.m. on Saturday, when police received calls reporting that a guest had entered the tiger enclosure. Responders quickly arrived at the popular South Yorkshire park.
“Emergency services attended, and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene,” the police force said at the time, via The Guardian.
“The man’s family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time. Regarding rumors 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.”
In the hours after the incident, footage spread on social media appeared to show a man seated on the ground inside the enclosure as a tiger attacked him. He seemed conscious in the video, pointing and shouting at the animal.
City of Doncaster Council, the authority that licenses the park, is now carrying out a health and safety investigation into what happened. The council has confirmed it will pass its findings to the coroner. All guests were evacuated on the day of the incident, and the park stayed closed. At the time, Yorkshire Wildlife Park shared a notice on its official website.
“We can confirm that a serious incident has occurred today at the tiger enclosure. Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and emergency services are currently attending the scene,” the notice read. “We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened.”
“The safety and well-being of our visitors, staff, and animals remain our highest priority,” it concluded. The park has since confirmed it will welcome visitors back today, saying the decision follows its discussions with the relevant authorities.
Land of the Tigers ranks among the park’s headline attractions and is home to two Amur (Siberian) tigers, Altai and Tschuna.
“Take a spectacular walk along the 300-meter-long raised walkway above ‘Land of the Tigers’ for the best views of these magnificent big cats,” the official website writes. “Witness the majestic cats freely roaming their woodlands and grasslands or playing in their very own waterfall pool.”
The tiger involved, Altai, was not hurt during or after the attack and remained in its enclosure. He will not be euthanized following the fatal attack.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park sits in Branton, near Doncaster in South Yorkshire. It opened in 2009 on land once used as a farm and riding school and has grown into one of the most visited animal attractions in the UK. The park is a popular family day out and also places a strong focus on conservation. Its charity, the WildLife Foundation, funds breeding programs and field projects that protect endangered species worldwide.
We will continue to share more information on this tragic incident.
