A man is in serious condition after being mauled by a tiger when he entered its enclosure at a UK wildlife park on Saturday, forcing an emergency evacuation and drawing armed officers to the scene.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed the attack occurred at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, located near Doncaster, after receiving reports that a man had breached the tiger enclosure around mid-afternoon. “The tiger has subsequently attacked the man and this has resulted in serious injury,” the force stated in its official account of the incident.
The tiger remained inside its habitat throughout the incident, and authorities emphasized there was “no wider risk to the public.” Officers are now working to notify the man’s family members.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service dispatched extensive emergency resources after receiving the call at 1:33 p.m. “We sent a number of resources, including two land ambulances, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and a doctor,” a spokesperson for the service said.
Witnesses at the park reported hearing gunfire during the response. Multiple visitors said that shots were fired, and that black screens were later erected around the enclosure to block the view. Video footage circulating online appeared to show a man on the ground inside the habitat with a tiger holding him.
The park activated its emergency protocols immediately and cleared all visitors from the grounds. “Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and emergency services are currently attending the scene,” the park said in an official statement.
The facility described the incident as “serious” and confirmed it would remain closed through the end of the day. “We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened,” the park added, noting that “the safety and wellbeing of visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority.”
Police units stayed at the Doncaster-area attraction to conduct their investigation into how the man came to be inside the enclosure with the animal.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park houses Amur tigers among its collection of species and has drawn millions of visitors since opening in 2009.