A woman who says she captured the last photograph of the man killed after entering a tiger enclosure has recalled seeing him alone and apparently dancing before the fatal attack.
The victim, understood to have been in his 20s, climbed into the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday. Witnesses said he began praying, bowing and moving on all fours.
Video shared online appears to show Altai, a 200kg Amur tiger, clawing at the man and throwing him around. The wildlife park was quickly evacuated as emergency services arrived.
The park was closed on Sunday and had initially been expected to reopen the following day.
However, officials confirmed on Monday morning that Yorkshire Wildlife Park would remain closed for a third consecutive day while the circumstances surrounding the death were investigated.
Mourners have since left flowers outside the zoo entrance.
A video posted on social media also appears to capture the unidentified man asking someone to photograph him with the tiger shortly before he entered the enclosure.
Del Taylor was watching Altai from a viewing platform overlooking the enclosure when the man approached her and said: “Excuse me, can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?”
A man was mauled to death by Altai, pictured, after climbing into the Siberian tiger’s enclosure
The zoo remained closed on Monday as officials continued investigating the man’s death
Yorkshire Wildlife Park was closed to visitors on Monday, despite earlier expectations that it would reopen
Barriers were installed to prevent visitors from entering the zoo grounds after Saturday’s fatal incident
Ms Taylor told The Sun that she took several photographs with Altai visible behind the man. She said he asked three times for “one more” picture before thanking her by saying: “Thank you, lady.”
She described the man as being “completely alone” and said he initially appeared to be “dancing on the bridge overlooking the enclosure”.
Other visitors said the man had behaved strangely before climbing into the enclosure. Some speculated that he may have had learning difficulties or been experiencing mental health problems, although no official explanation has been given.
During the attack, the man was heard shouting “stop” repeatedly. He also appeared to clench his fist and move his little finger, a gesture some observers said resembled the Makaton sign for “bad”.
In a message sent to ticket holders on Monday morning, the park said: “Due to the serious incident that occurred at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, the 10th of October, unfortunately the park remains closed for the whole of Monday, the 12th October.
“Anyone with a booking for this date will be contacted within the next five working days with details of how to reschedule your booking. We apologise for the late notice and any inconvenience caused.”
Keepers reportedly made every effort to drive Altai away, firing five loud acoustic blasts in an attempt to scare him off. The park has since confirmed that the tiger will not be euthanised following the incident.
An animal keeper told Sky News that Altai was likely “just playing” when he pawed at the man. The keeper added that the tiger could “probably [have] killed him within 10 seconds … if it really wanted to kill him”.
Reece Oliver said Altai would have used ‘his predatory instinct, seeing what it was, what he was, and unfortunately it ended up being a fatal attack’ as typically the only things that would enter the enclosure would be enrichment toys or food.
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An animal ranger at the zoo, Charlotte Pywell, previously said: ‘It was not the tiger’s fault at all. It was just something else to play with. The keepers are all distraught. It was not a very nice day.’
The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday after a tiger mauled a man who entered its enclosure
Two ambulances and a helicopter rushed to the park at 1.35pm, with a ‘black screen’ erected around the enclosure as lifesaving treatment was attempted. The man was later pronounced dead.
Anthony Hunt, 22, a university graduate, and Scarlet Hogan, 21, a pharmacy worker, first encountered the man as they parked at the zoo where they spotted the suspected victim ‘dancing as he was walking with AirPods in’ but ‘thought he might have special needs, so we forgot about it’.
The pair spotted the man dancing later on, near to the enclosure, and behaving erratically.
He then scaled the large fence surrounding the enclosure before dropping roughly 12ft to the ground and walking in ‘nonchalantly’, although another report said a woman tried to haul the man back from clambering off the side of the bridge but ‘wasn’t strong enough’.
Ms Hogan described how the tiger’s behaviour immediately shifted and ‘he went into stalk mode’, while the man appeared to take selfies before ‘getting on the floor and starting to pray’.
‘It looked like a performance,’ Mr Hunt said. ‘He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing area.
‘He had his arms wide open like he was saying: “Come here, tiger. Kill me”. Then the tiger came and started to attack him.
‘He started to fight back and screamed. It was like he was just detached from reality. The last thing we saw was the tiger on his neck.’
Ms Hogan said: ‘It is very bizarre and weird. He was speaking in a different language while he was praying.’
They said the man seemed to be ‘on a mission’, and the ritual he performed near the tiger appeared to be ‘religious’.
In a statement, the park said: ‘Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger.
‘We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.
‘We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday’s tragic incident.’
One visitor to the zoo said she saw three female zookeepers sitting on the floor in the wake of the attack, one with her head buried in her hands.
South Yorkshire Police said it is aware of the footage of the attack online and asked people not to share it.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, with the Land of the Tigers attraction opening in 2011.
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.
The attraction is a purpose-built, two-acre reserve for Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with around 500 left in the wild.