The fatal attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park prompted an evacuation, while officials said the tiger remained safely inside its enclosure.
DONCASTER, England — A man died Saturday after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England and being attacked by one of the animals, police said, prompting an evacuation of the attraction and an investigation into how the incident occurred.
South Yorkshire Police said emergency services were called to the wildlife park near Doncaster at about 1:35 p.m. Oct. 10 after reports that a man had entered the tiger enclosure. The tiger attacked him, causing serious injuries, police said. Medical personnel treated the man at the scene, but he was pronounced dead. His identity had not been publicly released, and police said his family had been informed.
The tiger was not injured and remained within its enclosure throughout the incident, according to police. Authorities said there was no wider danger to visitors or the surrounding community. The wildlife park activated its emergency procedures and evacuated guests as police officers, ambulance crews and other emergency personnel responded.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said it was cooperating with authorities to determine exactly what happened. The park closed following the incident and said it would remain closed Sunday. Officials said the safety and welfare of visitors, staff members and animals remained a priority as investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the man’s entry into the enclosure.
The park later confirmed that the tiger involved would not be euthanized and was safe and well. The animal has been identified in British news reports as Altai. Authorities have not said that the tiger escaped from its habitat at any point, and police emphasized that the animal remained within the enclosure during the emergency response.
Police had not publicly explained by Sunday morning how the man gained access to the tiger habitat or why he entered it. Those circumstances remained part of the investigation. Authorities also urged people not to circulate distressing footage connected with the incident out of respect for the man’s family.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009 near Doncaster. Its Land of the Tigers area opened in 2011 and was designed for endangered Amur tigers, which are also commonly called Siberian tigers. The park describes the habitat as a roughly two-acre reserve containing woodland, grassland and a pool, with an elevated walkway that allows visitors to observe the animals from outside the enclosure.
The death brought an abrupt end to normal operations at the attraction Saturday. Visitors were directed out of the park while emergency crews worked at the scene, and officers remained there as the investigation continued. The park expressed condolences to the man’s family and said specialist support was being provided to staff members affected by the incident.
South Yorkshire Police continued investigating Sunday, with the man’s identity and the circumstances that led him into the enclosure still not publicly established. Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained temporarily closed while officials worked with authorities and reviewed the fatal incident.
Author note: Last updated October 11, 2026.