William Chapman - latest: Horror at 'offensive' Trump tiger video after fatal mauling

William Chapman - latest: Horror at 'offensive' Trump tiger video after fatal mauling Former child actor William Chapman, 24, was killed after he jumped into the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park with his family pleading for people to stop circulating 'deeply offensive media content' online The family of a man who was horrifically mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park have called on people to stop sharing "deeply offensive media content" online - as anger grows over an "offensive" post shared on social media by Donald Trump. William Chapman, who was a former child actor, jumped into the tiger enclosure at the zoo as terrified onlookers urged him to "play dead". The Amur tiger, named Altai, then viciously attacked Mr Chapman, 24, and he was later pronounced dead at the scene. He had filmed chilling footage of himself approaching the tiger, breathing heavily in the moments before the mauling. His family said he suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years". In a statement they said: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened." The family has specifically asked for people not to share footage of the tragic incident on social media but, in a bizarre turn of events, US President Donald Trump has done just that, posting a video showing the animal biting and clawing at the man, though not the actual killing. He then went one step further, sharing an AI video of himself wrestling with a tiger with 'In The Jungle' playing in the background. In the video, posted on Truth Social, Trump chases the tiger before they end up embracing. The president's posts have been heavily criticised, with the Jeremy Vine show's Carole Malone among those calling it "offensive". She said: "You don't joke about young men dying at the hands of tigers." Piers Morgan said: "This is appallingly tasteless. Delete it, President Trump." Key Events Carole Malone slams Trump over 'offensive' AI tiger video: 'You don't joke about young men dying' Carole Malone has slammed Donald Trump for posting an AI-generated video showing him chasing a tiger and then taming and hugging it. The columnist and commentator said the video was "far more offensive" than his previous post on X about the incident, which featured footage of William Chapman's last moments. "It's just not funny. You shouldn't be doing that. The guy's got no filter. You don't joke about young men dying at the hands of tigers," she said on Jeremy Vine on 5. Vine had earlier remarked: "It sort of makes you want to cry, doesn't it?" Everything we know about insensitive Trump videos mocking zoo attack - At 8.54pm UK time last night, US president Donald Trump posted footage of William Chapman being attacked by one of the Amur tigers at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday. The footage, which the Mirror has chosen not to share, was posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, where he has 13 million followers. - The video was captioned "Don't ever mess with nature!". The callous remark was made as Mr Chapman's family also made an official statement last night saying their son suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication. - Just a minute later, the president posted a compilation video featuring AI-generated clips of people being mauled by lions and tigers, with an upbeat tune playing in the background. - At 4.17am UK time today, Trump mocked the incident further as he posted an AI-generated video of him fighting and then taming a tiger. The clip appears to mimic the one of Mr Chapman's last moments, with the president copying the pointing gesture made by the 24-year-old in the original footage. - The insensitive clip ends with Trump hugging the tiger, with both smiling from ear to ear. Throughout the video, the famous The Lion Sleeps Tonight song by The Tokens is heard playing in the background. - Trump's posts have generated strong criticism, with people labelling him "unfit for office", "demented" and "mentally unwell". Piers Morgan has also called for Trump to delete the AI video of him and the tiger, describing the footage as "appallingly tasteless". - Downing Street said people should respect the views of Mr Chapman’s family but would not directly comment on Donald Trump posting the videos online. - In their statement last night, Mr Chapman's family called for people to stop sharing footage of their son's last moments in the tiger enclosure, saying the "depply offensive media content is causing them severe distress". Police preparing file for coroner In its latest media note, South Yorkshire Police confirmed officers are now preparing a file for the coroner. An inquest is due to be opened in Doncaster tomorrow morning, with only basic details like William Chapman's name, age and provisional cause of death due to be announced during the short public hearing, which will be adjourned for a later date to allow for the completion of all other inquiries. The force added that officers continue to support Mr Chapman's family. The statement read: "Officers have been in contact with William’s family who have asked for privacy at what is an incredibly difficult time for them. We are continuing to support them." It added: "Doncaster City Council have an ongoing health and safety investigation following Saturday’s incident. "South Yorkshire Police will not be providing further comment in relation to this tragic incident." 'If they really want to get in, they're going to find a way' Dr Campbell Murn, a lecturer in Conservation Science at the University of Reading, explained that despite UK zoos having to follow set regulations for enclosure designs, incidents like the one on Saturday cannot be eliminated. The expert, who is also a former member of the government's expert committee for zoos, said: "There’s an enormous amount of effort that goes into the securing of public safety for people who are visiting zoos, in addition to the weight that's given to animal welfare in those settings as well. "So it's certainly something that is a very big and integral part of the zoo standards in this country." Dr Murn added that staff at zoos which house dangerous wild animals are trained in emergency responses, explaining that he does not believe the incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park was a result of a safety failure. Rather, he believes "it was not possible to get there before the visitor was injured and subsequently died". The expert said sophisticated enclosures that make it more difficult for unauthorised people to enter them "would minimise or reduce the risk, but it's never going to truly eliminate it". He said: "Even the most elaborate enclosure, if they really want to get in, they’re going to find a way". Final hours of tiger attack victim shown in pictures Just hours before he was going to be fatally attacked, William Chapman posted a series of pictures on his now-deleted public Instagram profile. These included a gym selfie in which Mr Chapman appears to be wearing the same clothes he wore when he entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday. Another picture, in which he wears the same clothes, is taken inside a flat and shows him sitting on a kitchen worktop while holding a crossbow on his lap and a bible in his right hand. He also has a crossbow bolt between his teeth. The crossbow, matched by the Mirror with an entry-level model retailing for around £100, has been described as "moderately powerful" by a reviewer. The same picture also shows some red tape stuck on the cupboard on top of which Mr Chapman is sitting, stating "150lbs recurve crossbow". An Ancient Greek helmet and a "grandson" happy birthday card can also be seen in the same photo. Another selfie recently posted by Mr Chapman shows him wearing a blue pair of swimming trunks. The first picture he posted on October 10 - the day of the attack - is of a can of Jack Daniels mixed with Coca Cola, with a corner shop in the background. 'Delete it, President Trump' As criticism towards Trump grows following his callous Truth Social posts mocking the incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, the latest to condemn the US president is Piers Morgan. Responding to a post on X displaying the AI video of Trump fighting and then taming a tiger, he said: "This is appallingly tasteless. Delete it, President Trump." Trump has also posted AI videos of people getting mauled by lions and tigers overnight, after he shared actual footage of William Chapman's last moments in the tiger enclosure. 'Trump turned horrific death into grotesque social media spectacle' Trump's "Don't ever mess with nature!" caption on the post in which he shared footage of William Chapman's last moments exposes "the breathtaking cruelty, staggering lack of judgment, and utter moral bankruptcy of the man occupying the White House", the Mirror's Christopher Bucktin writes. Despite America's more pressing issues, such as its war with Iran and fuel prices soaring, the president found time in his busy schedule to also share an AI-generated video mocking the attack in which Mr Chapman, who suffered from significant mental illness, lost his life on Saturday. Read more on Christopher Bucktin's opinion of Trump's insensitive posts here. Tiger attack victim's family hit out at 'offensive' videos Donald Trump has been slammed by William Chapman's family after he caused outrage by posting harrowing footage of the young man about to be fatally mauled by a tiger. The US President shared the brief clip on his Truth Social platform, writing: "Don't ever mess with nature!" as the huge animal is seen lurching towards its victim. The Mirror and other publications have not shared the video due to its insensitive nature, but Mr Trump has blithely used it as fodder for his 13 million followers. It depicts the animal biting and clawing Mr Chapman, as he sat within the enclosure, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster. Today, his mourning family have been forced to make heartbreaking plea following his death, begging people to shop sharing the "deeply offensive" content - and hit out the the President. Read more here Coroner to open inquest tomorrow A coroner is due to open an inquest into William Chapman's death tomorrow morning. The short hearing, which will only last a few minutes, is scheduled for 10am at Doncaster Coroner's Court. According to the inquests list on the City of Doncaster Council website, Mr Chapman's full name was William Harry Bruce Chapman and he was 24 years old. The proceedings tomorrow morning will only hear the most basic of details, such as the name, date of birth and age of the deceased, their address, date and place of death, and provisional cause of death. The hearing will then be adjourned by the coroner until a later date and will resume once all other investigations have been completed. Trump labelled 'demented', 'unfit for office' and 'disgraceful' after tiger video The AI-generated video depicting Trump fighting a tiger has generated strong reaction, with people saying he is "unfit for office" and "mentally disturbed". The clip, which was posted on Trump's Truth Social account a few hours ago, shows him wrestling a tiger and taming it, with The Lion Sleeps Tonight playing in the background. One X user reacting to the video, which was posted at 4.17am UK time, said: "Trump actually posted this AI video of him with a tiger in the middle of the night. This man is demented and mentally unwell." Another commented: "Trump is very sick and unfit for the office of POTUS. The family of said man have now revealed he suffered significant mental illness and they are distressed by social media posts mocking the tragedy and their loss. For POTUS to post this is DISGRACEFUL!!!" In a statement released last night, victim William Chapman's family said he suffered from significant mental illness "over a number of years" and was prescribed strong medication. Another person wrote on X: "That is utterly disgraceful for anyone to do. For the president of the US to do it, while the family is still grieving, is a clear sign that he is totally unfit for the job." One other said: "Musing on the level of ice-cold narcissism that it must take to watch a man being savaged by a tiger and think, 'But what if it was me, and I was stronger than it, and it liked me?'." Another user simply said: "Trump is mentally disturbed." Another challenged the president: "Is Trump saying if he jumped into the tiger enclosure he would have survived? Only one way to find out, Donald. Don't be a chicken." One person questioned if Trump might have more important matters to focus on: "I had always assumed that national leaders would focus their energy on more important matters." Donald Trump posts insensitive AI video of him wrestling and hugging tiger Last night, Donald Trump posted footage showing William Chapman in the moments before he was mauled to death by the tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, with the animal seen pawing the helpless young man. Mr Chapman's family, also last night, pleaded for the "deeply offensive media content" not to be shared anymore. The brief clip shared on Trump's Truth Social platform was captioned: "Don't ever mess with nature!" The Mirror - and other publications - have not shared the video due to the nature of it. But at around 4.15am UK time today, the US president posted yet another insensitive clip, this time an AI-generated video which depicts him wrestling a tiger. Dressed up in a suit, Trump runs after the tiger and tackles the animal, rolling over with it twice. The president then grabs the tiger and both smile from ear to ear. The famous The Lion Sleeps Tonight song by The Tokens plays in the background throughout the video. Wildlife park still closed Yorkshire Wildlife Park remains closed today for the fifth day. A message on the attraction's website states that the park is "working closely with the authorities". The Yorkshire Hive, which offers shopping, dining, a hotel and entertainment options like mini golf, remains open. Family's tribute for 'amazing son' In a statement, the family of William Chapman said: "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. "It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. "We would ask everybody to respect that process. "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened." The family has also called for "deeply offensive media content", which the Mirror hasn't shared, to stop being circulated. "The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did," the statement added. Glimpse into William's younger days that made mum 'proud' The man who was horrifically killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park was a former child actor, with his 'proud mum' sharing heartwarming stories of his time on set. He starred in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, best known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films, as well as playing Edward Jenner as a young boy in the BBC series True Stories. An old blog post written by William's mum shows a glimpse into his life years before the attack. William Chapman had been on 'strong medication' before death In a heartbreaking family statement William's loved ones confirmed he had been suffering from "significant mental illness" over a number of years and had been prescribed "strong medication". For mental healthsupport, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. Yorkshire Wildlife Park to remain closed today Yorkshire Wildlife Park will remain closed on Wednesday for the fifth day following the tragic incident. The zoo has remained closed since a man died in a tiger enclosure on Saturday. An investigation has been launched by the zoo’s licence authority, City of Doncaster Council. Jackie Palmer Stage School pay tribute William Chapman previously attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. A heartfelt tribute was shared on their Facebook page earlier today. Family pay tribute to 'bright warm and engaging' man who suffered 'significant mental illness' The family of William Chapman, who was fatally mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, have described the 24-year-old as a "bright, warm and engaging young man". Mr Chapman suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years" and was prescribed strong medication as a result, his family added. The tribute continued: The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. 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 are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did. It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process. Donald Trump shares insensitive video of fatal tiger attack Donald Trump has posted insensitive footage of a young man being fatally mauled by a tiger at a British wildlife park. The US President shared the brief clip on his Truth Social platform, writing: "Don't ever mess with nature!". The Mirror - and other publications - have not shared the video due to the nature of it but Mr Trump blithely used it as fodder tonight for his 13 million followers. It depicts the animal biting and clawing the victim, since named as William Chapman, as he sat within the enclosure, though not the actual killing, at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which is near Doncaster. Full story here. Biologist at tiger's former home 'deeply saddened' by 'tragic incident' The tiger involved in Saturday's fatal attack, Altai, moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park from Dyreparken in Norway in February 2025. The animal, now aged five, came to the zoo as part of the international EAZA European Endangered Species Programme for Amur tigers. He joined the park's resident tigress Tschuna. Dyreparken biologist Helene Axelsen said following last week's tragedy: We were deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park over the weekend. Our thoughts are first and foremost with the victim's family, loved ones, and the entire team at Yorkshire Wildlife Park during this extremely difficult time. Victim was 'passionate about acting,' mum's blog reveals An old blog post written by William Chapman's mum has offered a glimpse into his life years before he was killed in a tiger attack. The post, published around 12 years ago, says William was "passionate about acting and drama" having attended a performing arts school in High Wycombe since the age of four. Describing his mood during an audition in London for the ITV show 'May Contain Nuts', William's mum said: William was only about 5 then, and unburdened by the nerves he can sometimes suffer from these days. He seemed to relax and thoroughly enjoy himself. The post also contains a short diary entry by William on his time as an extra in Pan, a prequel to the Peter Pan story which starred Hugh Jackman. He wrote: Once on set we were sheltering from the pirates under the ship's floorboards and we had to be terrified! Our chief gets shot by Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman), so remember to look out for that scene if you watch the movie. After lunch we just did more tutoring then we went back on set for a retake of the earlier scene, but we were lucky enough to meet and say hi to Hugh Jackman! We gave him a high five, awesome right? Harrowing final photos of tiger death victim emerge after tragedy The victim of a tiger attack at a British wildlife park posted video footage of himself approaching the big cat before he was mauled to death, it emerged today. William Chapman was heard breathing heavily as he stalked the 30st (200kg) animal after scaling a perimeter fence and jumping into the enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Members of the public cried out, "Oh my God" and "Seriously?" as he walked towards Altai the Amur tiger on an elevated platform. Moments later, Mr Chapman - believed to be in his early 20s - was pictured sat on the floor as Altai repeatedly lunged at him. He was pronounced dead shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday after being mauled by the big cat at the park near Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Full story here. Investigation launched 'in line with statutory duties' A health and safety investigation by City of Doncaster Council is underway following the man's death. Dan Swaine, the local authority's executive director of place, said the council was "deeply saddened" by the tragedy and sent its "deepest sympathies" to the victim's family and those who witnessed the attack He said: As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation. We are also working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in response to the incident. 'This is a very big animal with the power to bite and break through bones' Dr David Sands, a human-companion animal practitioner at the Animal Behavioural Clinic in Chorley, said tigers are "territorial" and it would be natural for them to attack. He told the BBC: This is a male tiger and the incredible weight and power, there's only one outcome because the tiger is in captivity - the enclosure is its territory and a male who can be scented becomes either competition or prey. We're so used to seeing them on the small screen in wildlife documentaries. This is a very big animal that's got the power to bite and break through bones. Visitors 'tried to distract tiger' Witnesses of the attack said some visitors had tried unsuccessfully to distract the tiger as it began attacking Chapman inside the enclosure. Altai the tiger is housed in the park's Land of the Tigers, which has a 300m-long raised walkway to allow visitors to view the animals from above. Chapman was reported to have entered the pen after climbing down from the walkway. 'Anyone entering an enclosure would be seen as a threat,' says expert A retired animal behaviourist says the blame should not be placed on the tiger following the tragedy. Dr David Sands told the BBC that anyone entering an enclosure would be seen as a threat and that the tiger was "just being the animal that one million years of evolution has produced". He explained: It's the top apex predator of its group of animals and I don't think any blame can be put on to the animal itself. Could you make the enclosure higher, bigger, more inner protections - well, where do you stop? Chapman 'shouted for help' as tiger grabbed hold of his neck, says witness A woman who filmed the tiger moments before the attack says Chapman had been "pacing around with his headphones in" before entering the enclosure. Ella Ford, 24, from Moreton, Wirral, was visiting the zoo with her boyfriend when she noticed Chapman jump into the pen and crawl in front of the tiger. She said the animal was "perched and just lay there". Ford said she then witnessed the tiger grab hold of the victim, and he began "shouting for help". Victim William Chapman was former child actor who appeared on BBC and ITV Tiger attack victim William Chapman was a former child actor who appeared on the BBC and ITV, it has emerged. Chapman starred in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, best known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films, reports the BBC. He also played Edward Jenner as a young boy in the BBC series True Stories. Man killed by world's largest tiger breed William Chapman was attacked by Altai, an Amur tiger weighing around 200kg (31 stone). The animal arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park from Norway last year and belongs to a subspecies regarded as the largest big cat in the world. Amur tigers, also known and Siberian tigers, are native to the Russian Far East and parts of north-east China. Adult males can weigh up to around 300kg (47 stone) and measure more than three metres from nose to tail. Family, including two babies, accidentally locked inside zoo On Saturday evening, two women and four children, including two babies, were trapped inside Wingham Wildlife Park in Kent. They took to Facebook to raise the alarm after they noticed they had been locked inside the zoo after closing time. Zoo staff have since confirmed the family had been missed during a final sweep of the site. The sweep included a check of the car park, where there were no vehicles left - as the group had taken the bus to the zoo. Read morehere.