Family pays tribute to ‘bright, warm, engaging’ man killed in tiger attack at UK zoo

The family of a man killed by a tiger after entering its enclosure at a UK zoo said they were devastated by the death of a “warm and engaging” man.

William Chapman, 23, was named as the victim of the fatal attack, which occurred on Saturday afternoon (Sunday AEDT) at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England.

His family revealed he had been suffering from mental illness for many years.

“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened,” they said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

“William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.

“Sadly, William suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication.”

The family said they did not want to comment explicitly on if this played a part in his decision to climb inside an enclosure that housed a Siberian tiger, saying that would be a decision for the coroner.

Chapman was visiting the park on his own, with witnesses telling the BBC that he was wearing headphones and “pacing around” near the enclosure before he went in.

Ella Ford, 24, told the BBC “he jumped in and crawled in front of the tiger, where the tiger was perched and just lay there”.

She said the man had previously climbed the enclosure barriers and had been spoken to by a woman before jumping.

Footage has circulated on social media showing Chapman in the enclosure as the tiger, called Altai, approached him.

Nine.com.au has chosen not to publish the images, and the family asked media to stop sharing the photos and videos of Chapman near the tiger.

“The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this,” the family said.

Chapman was a child actor, who appeared in various British shows and productions, with the BBC confirming he portrayed Edward Jenner in its series True Stories.

Chapman’s former school, Jackie Palmer Stage School – located north-west of London – shared a tribute on social media, saying he would be remembered fondly by everyone at the school.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former student, William Chapman,” the statement said.

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“We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer, during his time with us. It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.”

The Yorkshire Wildlife Park previously confirmed Altai, the Amur tiger who attacked Chapman, would not be euthanised as a result of his death.

“Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger,” the park said in a statement on social media.

"We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident."