Chilling new details explain why man pointed finger at tiger as victim is identified

A man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at a wildlife park in England reportedly approached a stranger to ask for photos of himself with the animal shortly before the fatal encounter.

William Chapman died on Saturday, October 10, after entering the enclosure of an Amur tiger named Altai at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

Witnesses have since described the moments before the attack, including Chapman’s unusual behavior around the animal and the photographs that one visitor now believes may have been among the last images taken of him.

Tiger attack at wildlife park in England

Taylor, who was visiting the park with her boyfriend, said Chapman approached her while she was watching Altai from a viewing platform.

According to The Mirror, he asked her, “Can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?”

Taylor took his phone and photographed him posing with the tiger visible behind him. Her boyfriend also recorded a video of the encounter, in which Chapman appeared cheerful and asked for additional pictures.

“One more, one more, one more,” he said.

“He was completely alone,” Taylor told the outlet. “At first, he was dancing on the bridge overlooking the enclosure. He ended up standing next to me.”

Another witness also recalled seeing Chapman enjoying himself shortly before the incident. The person said the man had been dancing on a bridge with his EarPods in while watching the tiger.

“20 minutes before today’s tragic incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, this tiger was sat in the sunshine,” the witness said. “The man who I saw on the bridge with his EarPods in dancing was happily enjoying seeing the tiger.”

“We noticed the tiger’s behavior change”

Anthony Hunt was at the park with his girlfriend, Scarlet, when the situation took a devastating turn. He told Sky News that the tiger’s behavior suddenly appeared to change as visitors watched from outside the enclosure.

“We noticed the tiger’s behavior change. Its eyes locked onto something in the enclosure.

“We thought maybe he’s getting fed. When Scarlett was taking photos, we suddenly saw in the camera lens that a guy had entered the enclosure,” he said.

Chapman had reportedly climbed into the enclosure housing Altai, a rare Amur tiger weighing around 420 pounds. According to witnesses cited by The Mirror, Chapman pointed at the animal and told it to “stop being naughty.”

People watching from above reportedly tried to warn him about the danger, with some shouting at him to play dead. However, he appeared not to understand their warnings before the tiger attacked.

Video footage captured the moments leading up to the encounter. In one recording, Chapman can be seen approaching the animal while appearing out of breath. He was subsequently pinned down by the tiger. Another video recorded by a witness captured Chapman shouting “no, no, no,” followed by “stop, stop, stop, stop, stop” as Altai circled him and lunged at him.

Despite efforts to intervene, Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Park staff eventually intervened by firing gas-powered acoustic guns into the air in an attempt to scare the tiger away from Chapman.

Altai retreated to a nearby shelter and was quickly secured. The animal was unharmed.

Following the incident, Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed that Altai would remain in its enclosure and would not be euthanized.

The park also expressed its condolences to Chapman’s loved ones, saying its “thoughts and heartfelt sympathies” were with his family.

The council has launched a health and safety investigation

The City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the circumstances surrounding Chapman’s death.

Dan Swaine, executive director of Place at the City of Doncaster Council, confirmed that the authority was looking into the incident in its capacity as the licensing authority for the wildlife park.

“As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation.

“We are also working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in response to the incident.”

The investigation is being conducted alongside work with other agencies, including police and health authorities, as officials seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.