Carole Baskin has defended the tiger that killed a man who entered its enclosure at a British zoo.
Baskin, 63, who became a household name through Netflix’s 2020 docuseries “Tiger King,” said that the animal bore no blame for the fatal attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England last Saturday. The founder of Big Cat Rescue in Florida spoke out after South Yorkshire Police confirmed that a man died at the scene despite emergency medical efforts.
“The tiger was not doing anything wrong by being a tiger. I am relieved to hear that the animal was not harmed,” Baskin said.
She added a note of caution about the still-unfolding investigation: “We don’t yet know all the circumstances that led to this man’s death, and it would be wrong to speculate.”
Baskin used the moment to underscore a message she has long championed. “What we do know is that a tiger is a powerful wild predator, and no amount of captivity, training, or familiarity can change that,” she continued. She also offered condolences to the deceased man’s family and to two witnesses who saw the tragedy unfold.
The Big Cat Rescue CEO expressed hope that the “terrible loss will lead to meaningful reflection about our relationship with wild animals” and contribute to a future where big cats live protected in natural habitats rather than captivity.
South Yorkshire Police issued a statement Saturday afternoon acknowledging the family’s grief. “The man’s family is aware and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with them at this distressing time,” the force said. Police also addressed public concern about the tiger itself, noting that “the animal was uninjured and remained in the enclosure following the incident and there is no wider risk to the public.”
Visitors described scenes of panic as the park went into lockdown. Alice, a guest who spoke, recalled the evacuation as chaotic. “It felt chaotic. People near us were saying how they’d been near the tiger enclosure when they’d seen a young man climbing the fence into the enclosure where he had provoked the tigers which then retaliated,” she said.
Alice added that departing guests had to walk past the enclosure from a distance. “When we left we had to walk the length of the park and pass nearby the tiger enclosure and could see emergency services dealing with the scene from afar but not close enough to make out any casualties etc,” she said.
The park shuttered immediately after the incident and announced it would stay closed through Sunday, October 11th. A statement on its website emphasized that “the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff, and animals remain our highest priority.”
Police have urged the public not to share footage circulating on social media, describing the videos as distressing. The force’s appeal came as clips reportedly spread across platforms in the hours after the attack.
Baskin rose to prominence as the central rival to Joe Exotic in “Tiger King,” which chronicled the bitter feud between the two big cat collectors. The Netflix series made her a polarizing figure, with Exotic currently serving a federal prison sentence for a murder-for-hire plot against her. She has since leveraged her platform to advocate against private ownership of big cats and push for federal legislation to restrict the practice.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, located near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, houses Amur tigers in a sprawling reserve designed to replicate natural conditions. The park has not identified the specific tiger involved in Saturday’s attack.