A man identified as William Chapman, a former child actor, was killed by a Siberian tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England.
On Saturday afternoon, Chapman entered an enclosure and approached Altai—a 420-pound rare Siberian tiger—whose fatal attack claimed his life. Moments before the incident, Chapman filmed himself inside the enclosure and posted the video to social media.
Witnesses described Chapman as appearing unusually happy prior to the attack. They also noted he seemed detached from reality as the tiger displayed aggression toward him. Zoo-goers recalled seeing Chapman dancing happily and repeatedly asking a stranger to take a photo with Altai in the background, saying, “One more, one more, one more!” In footage handed over to investigators, Chapman stated, “Thank you, lady.” Del Taylor, the woman who snapped his photos, described him as “so happy.”
Onlookers reported Chapman repeatedly told the tiger to “stop being naughty” as it attacked. Park workers fired two warning shots with a shotgun to scare Altai away, but the tiger retreated to its pen while officials rushed to save Chapman—who was pronounced dead at the scene.
No further details have been released about why Chapman entered the enclosure after traveling alone from Doncaster, where he lived. Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed it remains closed on Sunday and that Altai is “safe and well,” with no plans for euthanasia following the incident.
Chapman was in his mid-20s and had a background as a child actor. He attended the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe and starred in an ITV production called May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson—known for her role as Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films—and Darren Boyd. He also portrayed Edward Jenner in a British television series.
The City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the death, stating it is “in line with our statutory duties.” Officials have not yet determined the exact reason Chapman entered the enclosure.
