The man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park has been identified as William Chapman, a former child actor who appeared in BBC and ITV productions. Emergency services were called shortly after 1.30pm on October 10, and Chapman, who was visiting the park alone, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Former Child Actor's Career
Chapman, reportedly in his 20s, appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films. He also portrayed a young Edward Jenner in the BBC series True Stories, according to the BBC and corroborated by IMDB.
Footage posted on an Instagram account, since deleted, reportedly showed Chapman filming the moment he approached the tiger. The brief clip, recorded inside the enclosure, shows the large animal lying on a wooden platform just metres from the camera. In the audio, heavy breathing can be heard as distant voices shout "Oh my God" and "seriously".
Incident Details and Witness Accounts
Another clip appears to feature Chapman's voice asking people to take a photo of him with the tiger minutes before the incident. Eyewitnesses described how he seemed to "bow down" to the animal and was reportedly seen "dancing" to "hype" himself up before entering the enclosure. Some onlookers suggested Chapman may have had special needs or was deaf, after he was spotted apparently using sign language to reprimand the animal. Others speculated he was pointing with his little finger, which in Makaton sign language means "bad!".
The park was evacuated and shut following the incident and remained closed on Wednesday (October 14) for the fifth day. Footage that emerged online appeared to show Chapman being pawed at and grappled by Altai, the Amur tiger involved.
Park Statement and Community Reaction
In a social media statement, Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed that "many, many people" had been in touch regarding Altai, and that the animal is "safe and well" and will not be put down. The park added that staff were "deeply affected" and are receiving specialist support.
Angela Seivewright, a local resident who laid flowers at the park gates, expressed concern over reports that the victim may have had additional needs, noting that people "seemed to care more about the tiger". She said: "I believe that the person who was killed had additional needs. And, when I looked at social media over the weekend, when I said I hoped the person was OK, I got really bullied a lot – saying that he deserved to die. I have a special needs child and I think he was doing sign language to the tiger. So, it just felt it was really unfair that people were almost wishing him to die as opposed to not wanting anybody to be hurt."
Investigation Launched
City of Doncaster Council, which licenses the park, has initiated a health and safety investigation. Dan Swaine, executive director of place at the council, 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. At this time, we won't be commenting further on the individual or the investigation and we ask that the privacy of those involved is respected at this difficult time."
