Zoogoers Say Woman Tried to Pull Back Man Who Climbed into Tiger Enclosure Before He Was Fatally Mauled
The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park after an emergency incident on Oct. 10, 2026; a tiger at the zoo in 2021Credit: Charley Atkins / SWNS/ GettyThe man was asking for photos with the animal and “dancing” before launching himself up to 15 feet down onto the floor of the enclosure, witnesses claimed
A man who was killed by a tiger at a U.K. zoo on Saturday, Oct. 10, was “dancing” and asked for photos with the animal before he died, witnesses said
The man, who has not been identified, reportedly climbed onto a railing and launched himself into the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, pushing away another visitor who tried to stop him
Video footage shared online showed the man shouting “stop” and “no, no” and holding a finger up to the Siberian tiger, Altai, before the animal mauled him to death, per The Times
A man who was mauled to death by a tiger at a U.K. zoo over the weekend was “dancing” and asked for photos with the animal before he died, witnesses have claimed.
The victim entered the enclosure with Altai, a Siberian tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, on Saturday, Oct. 10. Park staff fired shots from sonic weapons to scare the tiger while emergency services responded and attempted to save the man, The Times reported.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed in a statement later on Saturday that he was pronounced dead at the scene, while the zoo said that Altai was safe following the incident and would not be euthanized.
A tiger at the zoo in 2021
Ella Ford, who was visiting the park with her boyfriend, told the BBC that she saw the man “pacing around with his headphones in” before he “climbed up onto the barriers” minutes later.
The 24-year-old said the man then “jumped in and crawled in front of the tiger.”
The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Oct. 10, 2026Credit: Charley Atkins / SWNS
Anthony Hunt and his girlfriend Scarlet Hogan told The Times they saw the victim “walking very fast” and “dancing” when they parked up at the zoo, while Marie Miller, another visitor to the zoo, told the newspaper the man seemed to be “happily enjoying seeing the tiger.”
She said, “He obviously wasn’t with anyone and he asked a total stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background.”
The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Oct. 10, 2026Credit: Charley Atkins / SWNS
Hunt and Hogan told The Times the man, who appeared to be in his 20s, stood on a wooden railing and launched himself over, pushing past a woman who tried to drag him back, before falling up to 15 feet down to the floor of the enclosure.
“It looked like a performance,” Hunt said. “He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing area. He was on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger. It was like he was waiting for the tiger.”
Speaking to The Telegraph, Hogan recalled the man dancing with his phone out, telling the newspaper it looked like he was taking selfies.
Video footage from the incident has been shared widely online. In clips, onlookers could be heard roaring to distract the tiger, while the man shouted “stop” and “no, no,” and held a finger up to the animal, per The Times.
Flowers left at the entrance of Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Oct. 12, 2026Credit: PA via Alamy
It has been suggested he was making the sign for “bad” in Makaton, a form of communication that combines speech, hand gestures and symbols and is used by some people with learning disabilities.
“We are aware of videos circulating online and we would encourage people not to share this distressing footage,” a spokesperson for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park previously told PEOPLE.
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The park closed following the incident and remained shut as of Monday, Oct. 12.
On its website, a message reads, “The park will be closed today whilst 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.”
South Yorkshire Police said the family of the victim had been made aware of his death and were receiving support from specialist officers.
Source: Crime