British zoo confirms tiger will not be euthanised after man killed; victim was dancing with his AirPods in before entering enclosure

The tiger who killed a man after he entered its enclosure at a Yorkshire zoo will not be euthanised following the incident, it has been confirmed.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park said on Sunday that the tiger, named Altai, is “safe and well” and will not be put down after the man climbed into the pen and was mauled to death shortly after 1:30pm on Saturday afternoon.

“Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger,” the park said. “We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.”

Visitors at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday told the Mail on Sunday the man had been dancing with his AirPods in before entering and appeared to be “psyching himself up”.

He suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

“Emergency services attended and sadly, despite the best efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene,” South Yorkshire Police said.

The park has been evacuated and will stay shut for the remainder of the weekend, the zoo said.

One witness told the Mail on Sunday the man, who had a mobile phone and was wearing AirPods, appeared to 'psyche himself up' by performing a 'dance' in the spectator area.

Speaking to The Mirror, one woman said she saw him dancing with his AirPods in around 20 minutes before the horror incident.

"The man who I saw on the bridge with his AirPods in dancing was happily enjoying seeing the tiger,” she said. “He obviously wasn't with anyone and he asked a total stranger to take a picture of him with the tiger in the background.”

"Probably the last photo on his phone. I'm not sure if he was with a carer or family member but I honestly do think he just wanted to play with the tiger.”

Shots fired to divert tiger's attention from man

Witnesses have described how shots were fired in a bid to distract the tiger and allow emergency services to enter the enclosure. Speaking to The Mirror, one said: "Shots were fired into the air to make a noise and distract the tiger. The animal wasn't shot and is absolutely fine and not injured.

"The barriers are huge. You would have to really want to get inside the enclosure to be able to do it. From start to end the incident was over within minutes. The keepers did everything they could. It's horrific."

The tiger is an endangered species and joined the park last year from Norway.

In a fresh statement on Sunday morning, the park confirmed the tiger involved is named Altai, an endangered Amur tiger.

Altai arrived at the park in March 2025, travelling over 1,135 miles from his previous home at the Norwegian Zoo, Dyreparken, according to Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

Speaking at the time, director of animals, Charlotte MacDonald said: “We are delighted with Altai. He is a beautiful, huge cat and very calm and receptive, his keepers at Dyreparken have clearly done a great job with him.”

She added: “He is very curious and interested in what is going on and I am sure he will be a massive hit with our visitors.”

Family contacted

Police have been able to contact the victim’s family, but have not shared any information about his identity.

Local reports describe a man in his 20s, although this has not been confirmed in official correspondence from either the zoo or emergency services.

Video shared widely on social media shows a man in a black jumper in an enclosure with a tiger.

Despite speculation on social media, there remains no official report on the man’s motive.

Several different names have unhelpfully been published on social media, purporting to identify the victim.

Tickets remain on sale for visitors to go to Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Monday.

The park is currently closed following Saturday’s tragic incident, in which a man sadly died after entering the tiger enclosure.

The park has not yet confirmed it will reopen on Monday, but said it would be closed for the weekend.

Staff at park receiving specialist support, zoo says

Zookeepers who witnessed Saturday’s incident at a wildlife park in Yorkshire are receiving specialist support, the zoo has said.

“Hero” zookeepers reportedly fired shots into the air to distract the tiger during the fatal attack, according to witnesses.

In a statement on Sunday, Yorkshire Wildlife Park said: “We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday's tragic incident.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life.

“The park will be closed today and the staff team who were deeply affected by events will receive specialist support.”

Witnesses heard 'gunshots' before air ambulance arrived

Witnesses reported hearing “gunshots” before the air ambulance arrived on Saturday.

Becky, from Doncaster, told The Mirror she was at the zoo with her children when they were evacuated due to the incident in the tiger enclosure.

“We were at the tiger enclosure 10 minutes before the incident happened,” she said.

"We heard four gunshots, but didn't think anything of it until we heard the air ambulance trying to land and then one of the park staff approached us and told us we had to leave the park.”

Police have said the tiger was uninjured and remained in the enclosure.

The Independent