A man who was fatally mauled by a tiger at a British wildlife park had posed for a photograph with the animal and was seen dancing moments before entering its enclosure, a witness said.
Marie Miller said she spotted the unidentified visitor wearing Apple EarPods while watching Altai, a large Siberian tiger, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster in northern England on Saturday.
According to Miller, the man appeared captivated by the tiger before asking a stranger to take his picture with the animal visible behind him.
“20 minutes before today’s tragic incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park this tiger was sat in the sunshine,” Miller wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.
“The man who I saw on the bridge with his EarPods in dancing was happily enjoying seeing the tiger.
“He obviously wasn’t with anyone and he asked a total stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background. Probably the last photo on his phone.”
Police and paramedics were called to the park at around 1:35 p.m. after the man entered the “Land of the Tigers” exhibit and was attacked by the big cat.
Miller said she was unsure whether the man had been accompanied by a caregiver or relative, but believed he may have wanted to interact with the tiger.
“I’m not sure if he was with a carer or family member but I honestly do think he just wanted to play with the tiger,” she wrote.
“Tragic for his family. Tragic for the staff who were brilliant but in shock. Thankfully the tiger survived. Thankfully we didn’t see him jump.”
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Video from the scene showed the tiger biting and clawing the man’s back as he sat on the grass and attempted to defend himself, at one point raising a finger toward the animal.
“The tiger subsequently attacked the man, resulting in serious injury,” South Yorkshire Police said in a statement.
“Emergency services attended and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Authorities said the tiger was not injured and remained inside its enclosure.
“The man’s family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time,” police said.
Following the attack, a black screen was installed around the enclosure, and Yorkshire Wildlife Park shut its doors for the rest of the weekend.
“Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated,” the park said in a statement.
“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.”
The park also confirmed that Altai was “safe and well” and would not be euthanized following the incident.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said Altai arrived from Norway’s Dyreparken zoo in February 2025. The tiger was brought in to join Tschuna, a female, as part of a European breeding program for endangered species, according to the park’s website.
Tschuna arrived in 2013 and gave birth to three cubs in 2015. The park’s two-acre “Land of the Tigers” habitat features woodland, grassland and a waterfall pool.
