Yorkshire Wildlife Park reopens enclosure where William Chapman died

Yorkshire Wildlife Park reopened on Friday, six days after William Chapman was mauled to death by one of its Amur tigers, with the Land of the Tigers enclosure where he died open to visitors again.

The park, near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, had been closed since Saturday 10 October while investigations continued. It said the reopening followed engagement with the relevant authorities, and the tiger exhibit was among the areas open.

Altai, the Amur tiger that killed Chapman, was not hurt in the incident and will not be put down. The park, which said many people had contacted it about the animal, said on Sunday that he was safe and well, and on Thursday that his welfare remained a priority for its animal care team.

What the inquest heard

An inquest opened at Doncaster Coroner's Court on Thursday. Coroner's officer Caitlin Brookes told the hearing that Chapman climbed two fences to get into the enclosure at about 1.30pm on Saturday, that the tiger approached him, and that the physical contact that followed caused multiple traumatic injuries which rapidly led to his death.

Chapman's body was formally identified by his stepfather. A post-mortem examination gave the provisional cause of death as 1A multiple traumatic injuries and 1B animal interaction. He was 24.

Chapman had a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and had suffered previous bouts of psychosis, the hearing was told. He had been under the care of local mental health services but was assessed as independent, with no care requirements. His family has raised concerns about his contact with those services.

South Yorkshire Police are investigating the death. City of Doncaster Council, which licenses the zoo, has begun a health and safety inquiry into the site, and Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding it, GB News reported. The park said it would be inappropriate to comment further while enquiries remain ongoing.

Senior coroner for South Yorkshire East Nicola Mundy asked Brookes to establish whether Chapman had visited the park before and whether CCTV could confirm it.

Who William Chapman was

Chapman worked as a child actor. He appeared in the ITV programme May Contain Nuts and in a BBC True Stories production, and the Sun reported that he had worked on a television show alongside Shirley Henderson, one of the actors in the Harry Potter films. At the time of his death he was a self-employed online trader living in Doncaster.

Chapman's family issued a statement through South Yorkshire Police three days after his death, saying they were utterly devastated and struggling to come to terms with what had happened. They said he had experienced mental illness over a number of years and had been prescribed strong medication, and that they hoped the relevant authorities would establish why he did what he did. The statement did not name the disorder.

The Star reported that the public walkway around the tiger enclosures is level with the top of the fence that surrounds the tigers, which carries signs warning that it is electrified.

Inside the park on Friday

Altai was seen resting in the shade on Friday morning before a keeper fed him a large piece of meat, GB News reported from the park. It was the first time the public had seen the rare 190kg animal since the attack, and visitors gathered on the raised viewing platform in the Land of the Tigers to watch. One keeper said he was doing fine.

GB News described a steady stream of visitors coming through the gates on Friday, some arriving early to show support for staff. The Star reported that the park was only sparsely attended, with park and security staff on the walkway around the tiger enclosures at times outnumbering visitors. Families photographed Altai and said it was right that the park had reopened.

The park urged guests to remain respectful towards employees, many of whom witnessed or responded to the incident, and said specialist trauma support and ongoing care were being provided to those affected.

Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman who sadly lost his life. The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff team and animals remain our highest priority.

Carole Baskin, a star of the documentary series Tiger King, told the New York Post that the tiger had not been doing anything wrong by being a tiger, and said she was relieved the animal had not been harmed. Visitors also posted sympathy for Chapman's family while arguing that Altai had acted on instinct as an apex predator.

The footage and the family

Video of the attack circulated widely on social media in the days after Chapman died and was aired by cable news outlets.

President Donald Trump shared the footage on Truth Social on Tuesday, 13 October, with the comment, "Don't ever mess with nature! President DJT." Late that night he posted an AI-generated video of himself in the enclosure, pointing at the tiger as Chapman had, then chasing and tackling the animal before hugging it, set to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time.

The family asked people to stop sharing the material. The statement did not name Trump.

Witnesses quoted by GB News said Chapman had been dancing on a raised walkway above the enclosure while listening to music through AirPods shortly before the attack. He asked a visitor to photograph him with Altai in the background, then climbed the two fences and posted a video of himself approaching the tiger on Instagram. The inquest was told he had recorded himself on his phone before the tiger killed him.

Keepers fired warning shots to frighten the tiger away. Emergency services were called at about 1.35pm and Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene.

What happens next

The full inquest is listed for 18 March 2027 at Doncaster Coroner's Court, and Thursday's hearing was adjourned while investigators continue examining the circumstances. No timetable has been given for the council's health and safety inquiry or for the NHS trust's investigation, and the park has not said whether any changes will be made to the barriers around the tiger enclosure.

Altai remains on display in the Land of the Tigers, where the park said his ongoing welfare is a priority for its animal care team.