The tiger zoo at Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort is set to reopen its gates to the public tomorrow after a visitor was mauled to death last weekend.
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visitor → set → death
William Chapman, 24, died on Saturday after climbing into a big cat's enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, where he was attacked by a 200kg Siberian tiger named Altai.
The former child star, who was classed as vulnerable with a history of 'significant' mental health problems, had been dancing to music on his headphones and pacing along a walkway immediately before he hopped into the enclosure.
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he → die → enclosure
The park has remained closed since but is set to reopen tomorrow, including its Land of the Tiger attraction, with park bosses asking visitors to be 'understanding and respectful' to staff.
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bosses → remain → staff
A statement from Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort said: 'Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman who sadly lost his life.
'
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who → say → life
The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff team and animals remain our highest priority.'
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safety → remain → visitors
It added: 'As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time.
'
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who → add → time
We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected.'
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We → provide → those
William Chapman, 24, who had a history of mental illness, was mauled to death after entering the tiger pen at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday
The tiger, named Altai, who mauled Mr Chapman to death after he entered its enclosure, will not be euthanised
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, along with its Land of the Tiger attraction, is set to reopen to the public on Friday, October 16
Park bosses also described Altai as 'safe and well', and said that his ongoing welfare 'remains a priority' for the animal care team.
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welfare → have → team
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Tasha Lewis, animal welfare consultant at Living Things UK, believed it would be 'unnecessary' to remove Altai from the zoo.
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it → speak → zoo
She said: 'It's a freak accident that has happened.
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that → say → ?
It's not a normal behaviour for someone to climb into an exhibit where there is a dangerous animal.
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someone → climb → exhibit
Rather than moving the tiger, the zoo needs to be aware that, if they are going to let members of the public in, there are people with mental health issues that could potentially act in a dangerous way.
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that → move → way
They need to prevent that from happening and make sure that it is completely watertight, not only in terms of the animal escaping but also so members of the public can't get in.
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members → need → public
The tigers are being exhibited anyway for people to come and see them, so there should be provisions in place for people to come and see them.
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people → exhibit → them
There should be areas where he can hide away and be back.
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he → hide → ?
Whether him staying there makes the zoo busier because people are intrigued or not, the exhibit needs to be suitable for visitors.
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exhibit → stay → visitors
In my opinion, nothing should change other than the access.
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nothing → change → access
If people can climb a cage or wall to get into the exhibit, then it is not safe.'
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it → climb → exhibit
Following the incident, distressing footage was also shared online of the tiger, which the zoo has confirmed will not be euthanised, pawing Mr Chapman, who could be seen sitting and lying on the ground.
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who → follow → ground
The former Jackie Palmer Stage School pupil screamed 'stop' several times during the attack and appeared to make the gesture for 'bad' in Makaton – a language system generally used by individuals who struggle to communicate.
He also told the 200kg tiger to 'stop being naughty'.
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He → scream → tiger
Ms Lewis added that the incident reminded her of a similar incident involving a gorilla in 2016, where zookeepers killed the animal after a four-year-old boy fell into his enclosure.
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boy → add → enclosure
She said: 'On that occasion, the child actually wasn't hurt but the gorilla was put down.
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gorilla → say → occasion
There are a lot of good zoos doing incredible conservation work but, when you have these animals in your care, you need to make sure they have everything to replicate them being in the wild.
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they → be → wild
But you also need to have the public in mind because zoos aren't vetting everyone who comes through the door and people come from different walks of life.'
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people → need → life
The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday after a tiger mauled a man who entered its enclosure
The moment before Mr Chapman entered the enclosure was also captured on video, where he can be heard asking a parkgoer to take a picture of him with a tiger in the background.
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he → maul → background
Altai, the animal that killed him, could be seen lying in the background under a shaded tree, playing with a fallen branch.
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that → kill → branch
Minutes later, Mr Chapman began climbing over the walkway in a bid to enter the pen as a heroic older woman tried to pull him back down.
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woman → begin → him
However, according to witnesses, she simply 'wasn't strong enough'.
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she → accord → witnesses
A final video clip before the tragedy, shared to Instagram, showed Mr Chapman filming Altai, who was resting on a wooden raised platform, and began to slowly approach him.
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who → share → him
In the background, Mr Chapman's heavy breathing could be heard, as shocked onlookers cried, 'Oh my God'.
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onlookers → hear → background
Zookeepers were said to have done 'everything they could' to drive tiger Altai off, firing five loud acoustic gun blasts in an attempt to scare him.
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they → say → him
Two ambulances and a helicopter raced to the scene at 1.35pm in a bid to save his life but Mr Chapman died at the scene.
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Chapman → race → scene
Following a post-mortem, Mr Chapman's provisional cause of death was listed as 'multiple traumatic injuries' after his encounter with the tiger.
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cause → follow → tiger
An inquest opening into his death on Thursday heard that Mr Chapman had a history of mental illness, a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had suffered bouts of psychosis.
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Chapman → open → psychosis
'His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his death,' the coroner's officer Caitlin Brookes said.
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officer → express → death
At the time of his death, the 24-year-old self-employed online trader was under the care of Doncaster Mental Health Services but was 'highly functioning and independent with no care requirements', the inquest heard.
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inquest → employ → requirements
Ms Brookes said the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust had launched an investigation following Mr Chapman's death.
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Trust → say → death
The City of Doncaster Council, the licensing authority for the zoo, has launched a health and safety probe, while South Yorkshire Police also investigate the matter.
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Police → launch → matter
Mr Chapman's family chose not to attend today's opening hearing because they 'found things incredibly difficult,' the coroner added.
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coroner → choose → hearing
In a tribute to Mr Chapman, his family previously said he had suffered from 'significant mental illness' for several years and was 'prescribed strong medication'.
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he → say → medication
…and 37 more, not listed.
The Aporia
