Former child actor dies after entering tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Coroners said William Chapman climbed two fences and entered a tiger enclosure, where he was mauled and died from multiple traumatic injuries.
Coroners in Yorkshire reported that 24-year-old William Chapman climbed two fences and entered the enclosure of a 420-pound Siberian tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The coroner said Chapman approached the animal and, following the interaction, suffered multiple traumatic injuries that proved fatal.
Chapman, who had a diagnosed history of schizophrenia and was receiving mental-health care, was recorded on his own Instagram account walking toward the tiger shortly before the incident. Witnesses said he was seen pacing with headphones on and dancing before asking other visitors to photograph him with the tiger in the background.
Park staff detained the five-year-old tiger after the attack but announced that the animal would not be euthanized. The family expressed distress over the viral spread of the footage, describing it as deeply offensive media content.
Chapman was previously known for roles in the 2009 miniseries “May Contain Nuts” and the BBC Learning series “True Stories.”