Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed Monday as officials examined how a visitor entered an Amur tiger enclosure before the fatal attack.
DONCASTER, England — The authority that licenses Yorkshire Wildlife Park has opened a health and safety investigation after a man entered a tiger enclosure Saturday and was fatally attacked, adding a new official review to the police inquiry already underway.
City of Doncaster Council confirmed Monday that it was investigating the Oct. 10 death as part of its statutory responsibilities as the park’s licensing authority. The council said it was working with police, health agencies and Yorkshire Wildlife Park as officials examine the circumstances surrounding the man’s entry into the restricted enclosure. Authorities have not announced a conclusion about how or why he entered the habitat.
South Yorkshire Police said officers and other emergency personnel were called to the wildlife park near Doncaster at about 1:35 p.m. Saturday after receiving reports that a man had entered a tiger enclosure. Police said the tiger attacked the man, causing serious injuries. Medical personnel treated him at the scene, but he was pronounced dead despite efforts to save him.
The man’s family was notified and is being supported by specialist officers, police said. His name has not been released, and police have said the family requested that his identity remain private. Officials have also urged members of the public not to circulate distressing video from the incident. No official explanation for the man’s decision to enter the enclosure had been released Monday.
Witness accounts published by British news organizations described the man crossing visitor barriers and entering the tiger habitat from an elevated viewing area. Some witnesses said he had been taking photographs near the enclosure shortly beforehand. Those accounts form part of the emerging picture of the incident, but authorities have not publicly confirmed the complete sequence leading to his entry or announced findings about whether safety systems failed.
The tiger remained inside its enclosure throughout the emergency, South Yorkshire Police said. The animal was not injured, and police said there was no wider danger to the public. The wildlife park activated its emergency procedures and evacuated visitors while officers, ambulance crews and park employees responded.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed Monday while authorities continued their inquiries and the park provided support to employees affected by the incident. The attraction said it was cooperating with authorities and that the safety and welfare of visitors, staff and animals remained its priority. The tiger involved in the attack is safe and will not be euthanized, according to statements reported from the park after the death.
The park’s Land of the Tigers area houses Amur tigers, which are also known as Siberian tigers. Yorkshire Wildlife Park describes the habitat as a large outdoor area with woodland, grassland and water features. Visitors normally view the animals from outside the habitat, including from a raised walkway running above the area. The park opened near Doncaster in 2009, and its tiger attraction followed in 2011.
The council investigation will examine the incident under its responsibilities as the park’s licensing authority. Dan Swaine, the council’s executive director of place, said the authority was working with several agencies and would not comment further on the individual or the investigation while that work continued. Police inquiries also remained active Monday.
No official findings had been released Monday about the circumstances that allowed the man to enter the enclosure or whether changes will be required at the wildlife park. The attraction remained closed as the investigations continued, and authorities asked that the privacy of the man’s family and others affected by the incident be respected.
Author note: Last updated October 12, 2026.