Yorkshire Wildlife Park opens its gates again this morning, Friday, October 16, six days after a guest lost his life inside the park’s tiger enclosure. The reopening comes as the man at the center of the tragedy has been formally identified and a coroner’s inquest has begun to examine his death.
The victim was William Chapman, 24, who was fatally attacked by a tiger at the Doncaster attraction on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The Independent reports that an inquest was opened on Thursday, October 15, at Doncaster Coroner’s Court.
The court was told Chapman had a history of mental illness, including a schizophrenia diagnosis and previous episodes of psychosis. His family has questioned the contact he had with mental health services in the lead-up to his death. A preliminary post-mortem examination recorded multiple traumatic injuries as the cause of death.
Police were first contacted at roughly 1:35 p.m. that Saturday, after callers reported a visitor had entered the tiger enclosure. Emergency crews arrived quickly. “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, according to The Guardian.
“The man’s family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers,” the force added. “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.”
A video shared online soon afterward appeared to show a man sitting on the ground in the enclosure as a tiger attacked him. He looked conscious, pointing and shouting at the animal.
All guests were evacuated that afternoon, and the park stayed closed through the week. A notice on its official website read: “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. 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 says today’s reopening follows talks with the relevant authorities. City of Doncaster Council, which licenses the park, is conducting a health and safety investigation and will pass its findings to the coroner. The tiger involved, Altai, was unharmed and will not be euthanized. He lives in Land of the Tigers, one of the park’s flagship areas, alongside fellow Amur tiger 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 says. “Witness the majestic cats freely roaming their woodlands and grasslands or playing in their very own waterfall pool.”
Located in Branton, near Doncaster, the park opened in 2009 on a former farm and riding school and is now one of the UK’s most visited animal attractions. Its charity, the WildLife Foundation, funds breeding programs and field projects for endangered species worldwide.
Inside the Magic will continue to follow this story.
