The Yorkshire Wildlife Park exhibit where former child actor William Chapman was fatally mauled by a tiger has reopened, with the big cat spotted resting in its enclosure Friday.
Visitors gathered at the “Land of Tigers” exhibit in northern England to see Siberian tiger Altai, fewer than seven days after the animal killed Chapman, a troubled 24-year-old who died Saturday after scaling two fences and entering the restricted enclosure.
Altai appeared calm, lying on his stomach inside the pen while park staff answered visitors’ questions.
The exhibit had remained closed since Saturday, when Chapman climbed over two barriers and approached the tiger with his arms outstretched. The animal dragged him toward a wooded section of the enclosure and killed him as horrified onlookers watched.
Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner’s office attributed his death to “multiple traumatic injuries” resulting from an animal interaction.
A park spokesperson previously said the tiger was “safe and well” and would not be euthanized.
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Chapman’s family told investigators that he had “a history of mental illness, a diagnosis of schizophrenia” and had been receiving care from mental health services.
Before his death, Chapman had appeared opposite actress Shirley Henderson in the two-part ITV series “May Contain Nuts.” He had also trained at the prestigious Jackie Palmer Stage School.
Witnesses said Chapman appeared happy in the minutes before entering the enclosure, walking around with headphones on. In one video, he reportedly asks another visitor to take a photograph of him with the tiger.
After crossing into the enclosure, Chapman dropped to his knees in front of the predator and began taunting it, eyewitness Anthony Hunt told the Times of London.
“He had his arms wide open like he was saying: ‘Come here tiger. Kill me,’” Hunt said.
The tiger then seized Chapman by the neck and dragged him away.
