Man dies after entering Siberian tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
A visitor jumped into a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England, was attacked by the animal and died at the scene, prompting the park to close for the weekend.
A man entered the enclosure of a Siberian tiger named Altai at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday and was fatally mauled, authorities said. Witnesses reported that the man moved into the exhibit after dancing earlier in the day and appeared to be speaking or praying before the attack. One visitor, Scarlet Hogan, said the man "started praying to the tiger, bowing down to it" and that the tiger seemed "a bit confused." She added that the man took out his phone and appeared to be taking selfies with the animal.
A mother with two children attempted to pull the man back, but he overpowered her and entered the enclosure, according to her boyfriend Anthony Hunt. The mother later told the couple that the man was saying something religious.
Video footage shared online shows the tiger biting and clawing at the man's back while he raised a finger toward the animal and shouted. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by South Yorkshire Police.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park closed the enclosure for the remainder of the weekend and activated its emergency response procedures. The park said it is cooperating with authorities to determine the circumstances of the incident and emphasized that visitor, staff and animal safety remain its top priority.