Altai the tiger has been seen publicly for the first time since a man was fatally mauled after entering his enclosure at a Yorkshire zoo.
William Chapman, 24, died on Saturday after climbing into the big-cat enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster. He was attacked by Altai, one of the attraction’s two rare Amur tigers, a male weighing around 200kg.
The former child star had been classed as vulnerable and had a history of “significant” mental health difficulties. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while his family has raised concerns about the care he received before his death.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park was closed in the aftermath of the incident before reopening to visitors on Friday morning.
The Land of the Tigers exhibit has also welcomed guests again, with park officials asking visitors to be “understanding and respectful” towards staff.
Once the gates opened, a steady flow of visitors made their way past the tiger habitat. More than a dozen people were gathered on the viewing platform at times.
Keepers stood nearby to greet visitors and respond to questions about the big cats while monitoring activity from the raised viewing area.
Altai was seen lying in the shade before staff gave him a large piece of meat. One keeper said the tiger was “doing fine” following the fatal incident.
Altai, the 200kg Amur tiger involved in the attack on Mr Chapman, was seen in his enclosure as Yorkshire Wildlife Park reopened on Friday
Altai was pictured at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Friday morning after the attraction reopened to the public
Keepers said Altai was “doing fine”; the park had previously confirmed that the tiger would not be euthanised
The park reopened on Friday morning after remaining closed since the fatal incident
Visitors streamed past the tiger enclosure after the park reopened on Friday
Some visitors arrived early and queued outside, while others said on social media that they wanted to show their support for staff after the attack.
A sign at the entrance, featuring a cheetah, promoted a one-day offer allowing visitors to upgrade their tickets to an annual membership for £60.
Many social media users also voiced their support for Altai, describing the tiger as “beautiful” and insisting that he had “done nothing wrong”.
One person wrote: “Such a stunning boy… it was a terrible tragedy, but we must remember that he is still a wild animal and his instincts take over when someone enters his territory.
“It is so heartbreaking for the family, but I am glad the park made the right decision about the fate of that beautiful tiger.”
Shortly before the fatal encounter, Mr Chapman had reportedly been dancing on a raised walkway above the tiger enclosure while listening to music through his AirPods. He also asked a visitor to photograph him with Altai in the background.
Visitors said Mr Chapman appeared not to be “attached to reality” before he climbed over two fences and entered the enclosure. He later posted a final Instagram video showing himself moving towards the tiger.
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After it attacked, zookeepers are said to have done everything they could to stop Altai, including firing five loud acoustic gun blasts in an attempt to scare him.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at 1.35pm, but Mr Chapman was confirmed to have died at the scene.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park later confirmed Altai was uninjured and would not be euthanised as a result of the incident.
A statement from Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort yesterday announced it would be reopening today, and said: ‘Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman who sadly lost his life.
William Chapman, 24, who had a history of mental illness, was mauled to death after entering the tiger pen at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday
Visitors returned to the park on Friday after its closure since October 10
Signs at the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park warn visitors not to lean over the barrier
A small number of guests queued up outside the park before opening today, as bosses advertised a ‘today only’ annual membership offer
Zookeepers were said to have done ‘everything they could’ to drive the tiger away from Mr Chapman, firing five loud gun blasts in an attempt to scare him
An air ambulance and police van arriving at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday afternoon
‘The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff team and animals remain our highest priority.’
It added: ‘As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time.
‘We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected.’
At an inquest opening on Thursday, it was heard that following a post-mortem, Mr Chapman’s provisional cause of death was listed as ‘multiple traumatic injuries’ after his encounter with the tiger.
It heard that he had a history of mental illness, a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had suffered previous bouts of psychosis.
‘His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his death,’ coroner’s officer Caitlin Brookes said.
At the time of his death, Mr Chapman was a self-employed online trader who was under the care of Doncaster Mental Health Services but was ‘highly functioning and independent with no care requirements’, the inquest heard.
Ms Brookes said the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust had launched an investigation following Mr Chapman’s death.
The City of Doncaster Council, the licensing authority for the zoo, has launched a health and safety probe, while South Yorkshire Police also investigate the matter.