Animal keeper shares theory on tiger that killed man who jumped into zoo enclosure
An animal expert has shared his view on why the tiger who killed a man at Yorkshire Wildlife Park over the weekend behaved the way it did.
At 1.35pm on Saturday, South Yorkshire Police received a report of a man entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
A police spokesperson said: "Emergency services attended and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene."
He has not yet been identified.
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Footage shared online appears to show an Amur tiger called Altai pawing at and grappling with a man inside the enclosure.
Another video appears to capture the man's voice asking people to take a photo of him with Altai.
Animal keeper Reece Oliver offered his view on why the animals behaved the way it did.
Speaking to Sky News, he said the tiger, which weighs around 200kg (about 440 pounds), was probably ‘just playing’ when it began pawing the man.
"If it really wanted to kill him, it would have probably killed him within 10 seconds," he said.
"I don't think it knew what he was going to do, because the only thing that goes into that enclosure normally would be enrichment toys or food."
"So, I think he was probably just playing, using his predatory instinct, seeing what it was, what he was, and unfortunately it ended up being a fatal attack," Oliver added.
Will Altai the tiger be euthanized?
In a statement on social media on Sunday, the park said ‘many, many people’ had contacted it about Altai.
It confirmed the tiger is ‘safe and well’ and will not be euthanized. Park staff were ‘deeply affected’ by the incident and are receiving specialist support, the park added.
Is Yorkshire Wildlife Park open after the tiger attack?
The park was evacuated soon after the incident on Saturday, and remains closed.
It was understood the park would reopen on Monday, but in a message sent to ticket holders, the park said it would be closed for the 'whole of Monday' as investigations at the park continue. They also issued a statement on their Facebook page.
It is unclear whether the tiger closure will be open as normal when the park reopens.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, and its Land of the Tigers attraction followed in 2011.
The attraction is a purpose-built, two-acre reserve for Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with a population of around 500 left in the wild.
Photos of the enclosure on the park's website show a high walkway for visitors and fencing above the section where the tigers can roam.
UNILAD has approached Yorkshire Wildlife Park for comment.
Thomas Bamford