William Chapman was 23 and had appeared on British television as a child.
On Saturday, October 10, he visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, England, alone. According to accounts gathered by British media, he asked other visitors to take a photo of him with the Siberian tiger in the background.
He then entered the enclosure of Altai, an animal weighing around 200 kilos. Emergency services arrived, but the young man was pronounced dead at the scene. The exact circumstances of how he entered are still under investigation.
His family described him as a “brilliant, warm and captivating” young man and said he had been dealing with significant mental health problems for years, for which he was taking strong medication. They clarified that it is not yet known what connection this had to what happened: the coroner will determine that.
The park confirmed that the animal is safe and in good health and will not be put down.