The attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
A 23-year-old British man died on Saturday, 10 October, after entering the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, in northern England. South Yorkshire Police received the alert at 13:35 and said he was alone, without relatives or carers. Two ambulances, including the Yorkshire air ambulance, and a doctor attended, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The tiger, named Altai, will not be put down, the park said, and the park remains closed while local authorities run a health and safety investigation. Why he went into the enclosure has not been established.
- Police receive alert that a man has entered the tiger enclosure
- Man is pronounced dead at the scene
- Trump posts 41-second attack video and AI clips on Truth Social
- Family releases statement asking people to stop sharing footage
- Investigation into the death is due to open
Family and police appeals
The family's statement, released on Tuesday evening, 13 October, described him as bright, warm and engaging and said he had suffered from a serious mental illness for several years, for which strong medication had been prescribed. They said the coroner would decide what role this played in his death. They called the circulating footage deeply offensive and said it was causing them severe distress, asking people to stop sharing it. Police had made the same request since the day of the death, saying:
We are aware of videos circulating online and we would encourage people not to share this distressing footage.
Trump's posts
On Tuesday, 13 October, Donald Trump posted a 41-second video of the attack to his more than 13 million followers on Truth Social. The clip shows the tiger biting and clawing the man, though his death is not shown. Trump captioned it with a message reading:
Don't ever mess with nature! President DJT.
Later posts included a 24-second AI-generated montage of big cats attacking people, set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Another AI video shows Trump chasing and wrestling a tiger before the two embrace, and a further clip shows him appearing to tame and play with the animal. The posts were made late into the night after Trump's flight to a midterm campaign rally in Alaska. The White House Rapid Response account reposted the attack video on X, and when asked about the posts it referred only to the Truth Social messages.
Reaction and next steps
The investigation into the death is due to open on Thursday, 15 October, in the morning, and will examine whether the strong medication the man had been prescribed played a role. The coroner will decide what part his medical history played in his death, the family said. The family said they hoped the authorities would establish why he entered the enclosure. Police continue to ask people not to share the footage, and the park remains closed while the safety inquiry proceeds.