Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed on Monday after a man climbed into a tiger habitat on Saturday afternoon and was later declared dead at the scene. Eye witnesses reported that the man scaled a metre-high viewing barrier before dropping into the enclosure, overpowering a woman who attempted to pull him back. The resident Siberian tiger, Altai, was seen pawing at the man.
The City of Doncaster council has launched a health and safety investigation into the incident. This marks the second serious incident at a UK zoo in a few months, following a June event where a three-year-old boy was seriously injured after being attacked by crocodiles at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Cambridgeshire. A 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with the Cambridgeshire incident and has been bailed until 17 December, with the police investigation ongoing.
Experts, including Professor Amy Dickman from the University of Oxford and Jo Judge, chief executive of BIAZA, have stated that such incidents are rare given the millions of zoo visits annually. They suggest these events may reflect wider societal issues rather than a major problem with zoo safety practices. Zoos in the UK are licensed and adhere to strict safety procedures, with multiple layers of protection against human interaction with dangerous animals.