Desperate zoo hero 'tried to stop man leaping into tiger's enclosure' before he was mauled to death

Desperate zoo hero 'tried to stop man leaping into tiger's enclosure' before he was mauled to death Witnesses said a woman tried to pull the man back but "wasn't strong enough" before he jumped into the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park and was mauled to death on Saturday A desperate zoo-goer tried to stop a man from jumping into a tiger's enclosure before he was mauled to death, it emerged today. The man, who is yet to be named, was reportedly dancing with his mobile phone and wearing Apple AirPods before he scaled the fence at Yorkshire Wildlife Park shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said he posed for a photo with the big cat in the background just moments before leaping from a viewing platform. The Amur tiger, named Altai, then attacked him as he sat on the floor and dragged him away. Brave rangers who fired warning shots and “did everything they could” to stop the horror on Saturday afternoon have been offered "specialist support". One person wrote on social media: “Twenty minutes before the tragic incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park this tiger was sat in the sunshine. The man who I saw on the bridge with his EarPods in dancing was happily enjoying seeing the tiger. "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. "Tragic for his family. Tragic for the staff who were brilliant but in shock. Thankfully the tiger survived. Thankfully we didn’t see him jump." Another witness also claimed the man appeared to “psyche himself up” by doing a “dance” in the spectator area before entering the enclosure. Other zoo-goers are believed to have tried to stop the man from clambering into the enclosure, with one woman heard on the mauling video saying: “I tried to stop him.” He is believed to have been using a sign language to try to communicate with the animal before the attack. Police and paramedics raced to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, following reports that a man had jumped into a tiger enclosure, called the "Land of Tigers", a two-acre reserve which opened in 2011. It is surrounded by a five-metre-high fence. A viewing platform at one corner has a metre-high “stand-off” fence, which the man is thought to have climbed over. Hero keepers managed to frighten away Altai by firing gas-powered acoustic guns into the air causing him to retreat to a nearby shelter. The big cat was quickly secured but the man was later declared dead at the scene. Animal ranger at the zoo, Charlotte Pywell, said: “I was not there. I don’t know who the guy was or what made him jump. It was not the tigers fault at all. It was just something else to play with. The keepers are all distraught. It was not a very nice day.” A source said: “From start to end the incident was over within minutes. The keepers did everything they could. It’s horrific.” A visitor who watched the attack unfold said a woman tried to pull the man back onto the viewing bridge above the enclosure but "wasn't strong enough". The man "pulled away from her, climbed down, and jumped about 12ft" into the pen, the visitor said. He then "knelt in front of the tiger", who didn't immediately attack and was initially just circling the man. The witness said: "But then the young man started yelling at the tiger and waving his finger at him, yelling, 'No', and the tiger grabbed him by the neck. It all happened very fast. The tiger staff were in there quickly, and fired two shots to the ground to scare the tiger away from the man." Ella Ford, 24, from Moreton, Wirral, was visiting the park with her boyfriend and filmed the tiger moments before the attack. She described seeing a man by the tiger enclosure "pacing around with his headphones in". A few minutes later, she saw the same man had "climbed up onto the barriers". Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which is on the outskirts of Doncaster, yesterday said that Altai the tiger will not be euthanised following the fatal mauling. A spokesman said: "We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following [Saturday'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 while the staff team who were deeply affected by events receive specialist support." He added: "Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident." The wildlife park was yesterday close with green steel barriers and the ticket office remained shut. One person who did not want to be identified said: “We heard what sounded like gunshots but that’s it. Then everyone was evacuated and the police and air ambulance were here in a flash. It’s been empty since.” A dog walker said: “I come here every day and I’ve never seen it like this. This time of day on a Sunday it would normally be swarming. There’d be upwards of 5,000 people.” Altai was brought to the park from Norward to mate with their only other tiger, a female Siberian called Tschuna, in March 2025. When Altai arrived 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. "It will take him a while to settle in at the Park as it is a big change for him but hopefully he will be out in the Land of the Tiger in the coming weeks." He was described as a "nice and calm tiger" who "loves his training, eating and especially enjoys playing in the water outside".