Reece Oliver, a professional animal keeper, has weighed in on why the Amur tiger involved in a fatal weekend attack at a UK zoo acted as it did.
Oliver, speaking to Sky News, offered his theory on Altai’s behavior after the 200kg animal killed a man who entered its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday afternoon. The keeper suggested the tiger may not have understood the intruder as a threat or prey, but rather as an unfamiliar object in its environment.
“If it really wanted to kill him, it would have probably killed him within 10 seconds,” Oliver said.
“I don’t think it knew what he was going to do, because the only thing that goes into that enclosure normally would be enrichment toys or food.”
“So, I think he was probably just playing, using his predatory instinct, seeing what it was, what he was, and unfortunately it ended up being a fatal attack,” he added.
South Yorkshire Police received the report at 1.35pm on Saturday. Emergency services rushed to the scene in Doncaster, but medical personnel could not save the man, a police spokesperson confirmed.
Footage circulating online appears to show Altai pawing at and grappling with the victim inside the purpose-built, two-acre Land of the Tigers reserve. Another clip appears to capture the man’s voice asking bystanders to take a photo of him with the tiger before he entered.
The park, which opened in 2009 and added its tiger attraction in 2011, was evacuated following the incident and has remained closed. It had been expected to reopen Monday, but ticket holders received word that the closure would extend through the entire day as investigations continue. The park also posted the update on its Facebook page.
On Sunday, Yorkshire Wildlife Park addressed widespread public concern about Altai’s fate in a social media statement. The park confirmed the tiger is “safe and well” and will not be euthanized. It noted that “many, many people” had contacted the park about the animal.
Park staff were “deeply affected” by the incident and are receiving specialist support, the statement added. It remains unclear whether the tiger enclosure will operate normally when the park eventually reopens.
Amur tigers are an endangered subspecies with only around 500 individuals left in the wild. The Yorkshire Wildlife Park enclosure features a high walkway for visitors and fencing above the section where the tigers roam, according to photos on the park’s website.
The incident has drawn significant attention to zoo safety protocols and the unpredictable nature of large predators, even in controlled environments. Altai’s future at the park appears secure despite the fatal encounter, with the facility emphasizing that its staff followed proper procedures during the emergency.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has not yet announced a specific reopening date beyond the extended Monday closure.