A Siberian tiger that fatally attacked a visitor at a wildlife park in England will not be euthanised, the park has confirmed, after the man entered its enclosure. The decision follows public concern about what would happen to the animal after Saturday’s deadly incident, the New York Post reported.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said the tiger, named Altai, was safe and healthy and would not be put down because of the attack. The park also offered its condolences to the victim’s family and thanked members of the public who had expressed concern for the animal.
Altai was not injured during the incident and remains inside its enclosure. Police said the attack posed no wider threat to the public.
According to the New York Post, park rangers fired two warning shots from a shotgun in an effort to make the tiger retreat into its pen after it attacked the man. The park was evacuated following the incident and remained shut on Sunday.
MAN ASKED STRANGERS TO PHOTOGRAPH HIM WITH TIGER BEFORE ENTERING ENCLOSURE
Shortly before entering the tiger’s enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, the man was seen posing for photographs with the animal in the background. Witnesses told the New York Post that he had been dancing while wearing his AirPods and appeared to be psyching himself up before climbing into the habitat.
One witness said the man approached them and asked, “Excuse me, can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?” He was subsequently seen entering the enclosure. The reason behind his decision to approach the animal remains unknown.
South Yorkshire Police said they received a report at approximately 1.35 pm on Saturday that a man had entered the tiger enclosure. He sustained fatal injuries in the attack and was declared dead at the scene.
Police confirmed that the man’s family had been notified and was receiving assistance from specialist officers. The force is investigating the circumstances of his death and has appealed to the public not to circulate videos of the incident that are being shared online.
The man is believed to have climbed over a barrier separating visitors from the tiger’s habitat. The viewing platform is protected by a three-foot stand-off fence, while the enclosure itself is surrounded by a 16-foot fence, the New York Post reported.
TIGER HOUSED AT PARK AS PART OF BREEDING PROGRAMME
Altai, who weighs approximately 420 pounds, shares his habitat with a female tiger named Tschuna. The two animals were brought together under a breeding programme aimed at protecting the endangered species.
Their two-acre enclosure includes woodland and a pool with a waterfall, giving the tigers room to move around while visitors watch them from a designated viewing area.
