Yorkshire Wildlife Park set to reopen following fatal tiger attack
Yorkshire Wildlife Park will reopen on Friday, six days after visitor William Chapman was mauled to death by a tiger at the attraction.
The park – which has been closed since the incident – confirmed that it will reopen on October 16th, including the “Land of the Tiger” area.
An inquest into the death of Chapman, 24, heard he had a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
He had suffered previous bouts of psychosis, the hearing at Doncaster Coroner’s Court was told.
Coroner’s officer Caitlin Brookes said his family had expressed “a number of concerns” in relation to his contact with mental health services.
Mr Chapman was under adult mental health services in Doncaster but was “highly functioning and independent with no care requirements,” the inquest heard.
Ms Brookes said the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation trust had launched an investigation following Mr Chapman’s death.
The inquest heard he attended Yorkshire Wildlife Park on October 10, and at about 1.30pm, climbed over two fences and entered the tiger enclosure, before being approached by Altai the Amur tiger.
It came as the park confirmed it will reopen on Friday, almost a week after the fatal attack, following “engagement with the relevant authorities”.
A statement said Altai’s “ongoing welfare at YWP remains a priority of our experienced animal care team”.
The statement went on to say: “We continue to assist South Yorkshire Police and other relevant agencies with their ongoing enquiries into the circumstances of this tragic incident.
“As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time.
“We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected.
“As enquiries remain ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on circumstances at this time.
“We would like to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and support during this difficult period, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the park.”
The inquest heard Mr Chapman was a self-employed online trader who was living in Doncaster at the time of his death.
An initial post-mortem examination found that he had died from multiple traumatic injuries after his encounter with the tiger.