Police issue new chilling warning after a man has died entering tiger enclosure at zoo
A man has died after suffering serious injuries inside a tiger enclosure at a popular UK wildlife park, prompting an investigation.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed that officers were called to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, England, on Saturday afternoon (October 10) following reports that a male had entered the big cat habitat.
The force stated that the animal subsequently attacked the man inside the enclosure, leaving him with severe injuries before emergency medical personnel could safely reach him.
A spokesperson for the force said: "Emergency services attended and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
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"The man's family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time.
"Regarding rumours 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."
Following the fatal incident, South Yorkshire Police has now issued a warning to the general public as distressing footage of the tiger attack reportedly began circulating across social media platforms.
They continued: "Following the incident, Yorkshire Wildlife Park was evacuated and officers remain on scene carrying out enquiries.
"We are aware of videos circulating online and we would encourage people not to share this footage."
As emergency procedures were activated, visitors were immediately ushered toward the exits.
Karmelle Pelham was celebrating her nephew’s second birthday when she heard gunshots.
“We had been in the tiger enclosure minutes before but luckily moved on and we heard what sounded like two gun shots," the 39-year-old told ITV News.
“Shortly after that a helicopter started circling and there was another couple of gunshots.
“We were in the lemur enclosure and asked to leave as the keepers said they couldn’t keep us safe if we were there."
She continued: “As we were leaving, things seemed a bit more tense and the keepers were starting to ask people to move on and make their way to the exit and the park would be closing.
“As we made our way out through the park, there was police presence and keepers making sure people swiftly made their way out.
“The tiger enclosed had black tarpaulin covering the entrance and two police officers were inside."
The Land of the Tigers complex opened in 2011, allowing guests to view the animals from a 300-meter raised walkway running directly over the secured two-acre habitat.
The specialized enclosure currently houses two Amur tigers named Altai and Tschuna - more commonly known as Siberian Tigers, they are recognized as the largest big cats in the world.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park issued the following statement: “We can confirm that a serious incident has occurred today at the tiger enclosure," they stated.
“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 wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority. The park is now closed and will remain closed tomorrow," the management team confirmed.
Joe Yates