Yorkshire Wildlife Park reopens as ambulance staff investigated over William Chapman records
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has reopened after William Chapman, 24, was killed by a tiger, while an ambulance trust investigates two staff over access to his medical records.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has reopened to visitors for the first time since a man was killed by a tiger at the weekend. The park near Doncaster said its tiger enclosure is accessible again, with visitors describing increased security around the area. The reopening came as Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust confirmed it is investigating two members of staff who accessed or attempted to access the medical records of William Chapman without a legitimate reason.
Mr Chapman, 24, died on Saturday after entering the tiger enclosure at about 1.30pm. Police said he climbed two fences to get into the two-acre Land of the Tigers reserve. He was attacked by Altai, a rare Amur tiger. Emergency services, including an air ambulance, two land ambulances and a doctor, attended, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem found he died from multiple traumatic injuries.
The tiger was uninjured, remained in its enclosure and was not euthanised. Police said there was no wider risk to the public. The park was evacuated and remained closed for several days. Witnesses described seeing Mr Chapman wearing headphones and pacing near the enclosure before he went in. One witness said a woman tried to stop him. Another described him lying or kneeling in front of the tiger before the attack. Some visitors reported hearing shots, though police did not confirm that.
Mr Chapman was visiting the park alone. He was a former child actor who appeared in BBC and ITV productions. His family said he was a bright, warm and engaging young man who had lived with significant mental illness for years and had been prescribed strong medication. At the opening of an inquest in Doncaster, the court heard he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had suffered bouts of psychosis. His family raised concerns about his contact with mental health services. Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust has commissioned an independent patient safety investigation. The inquest was adjourned until March. Doncaster Council also launched a health and safety investigation.
The family asked people to stop sharing distressing footage of the attack. The request came after US President Donald Trump shared video of the incident and later posted an AI-generated video of himself with a tiger. Downing Street said the family's wishes should be respected. South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard said using the incident for a cheap laugh should be met with contempt. Police also urged people not to share footage while they supported Mr Chapman's family.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said its thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remained with Mr Chapman's family. It said staff had been offered specialist support. The park has not said what will happen to the enclosure in the longer term. Investigations by South Yorkshire Police, Doncaster Council and the NHS trust are continuing.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 5 or more of 6 channels | ||||||
| A man entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, climbing two fences, and was attacked by a tiger, later dying. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| South Yorkshire Police confirmed that the man involved in the incident had died. | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by Sky News | |||
| The family said the man had lived with significant mental illness for several years. | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | |||
| Emergency responders reported that a man entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. | Not reported by BBC News | |||||
| Reported by a few · 2–4 channels | ||||||
| Police said the tiger stayed in the enclosure and there was no wider risk to the public. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by Sky News | |||
| The tiger involved in the attack will not be euthanised. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| An investigation began after the fatal tiger attack. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Donald Trump shared footage of the tiger attack and later posted an AI video of himself with a tiger. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Emergency services were called to Yorkshire Wildlife Park at around 1.30pm. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The victim was identified as William Chapman. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | |
| William Chapman's family urged people to stop sharing or reposting video and distressing images of the attack. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Yorkshire Wildlife Park is closed and will remain closed the following day. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | |||
| A man was attacked and seriously injured after entering the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| South Yorkshire Police said distressing videos of the incident were on social media and asked people not to share them. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| The park was working with authorties to establish what happened. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| William Chapman was a former child actor. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Witnesses reported hearing shots or gunshots, and visitors were asked to leave the zoo. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | |
| Only on one channel | ||||||
| A visitor tried to stop the man from climbing into the tiger enclosure. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| At the inquest, the family raised concerns about his contact with mental health services. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Donald Trump posted footage of the attack on Truth Social. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| It was unclearwhy the man entered the tiger enclosure. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The man was visiting Yorkshire Wildlife Park alone. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed a serious incident at the tiger enclosure and that emergency response procedures were activated. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Yorkshire Wildlife Park expressed condolences to the man's family and loved ones. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News treated the story as rolling breaking news and repeatedly returned to it across bulletins. It was first to identify William Chapman, focused on police statements, the condition of the tiger, the health and safety investigation, the park reopening and the later ambulance records breach. Its tone was urgent and eyewitness-led, with some early reports of shots heard but unconfirmed.
- “Sky News understands the man who was killed by a tiger after he entered its enclosure at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday has been identified as William Chapman.”
- “Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust has revealed that two staff members accessed or attempted to access the medical records of the man who was mauled to death by a tiger at the weekend, William Chapman.”
- “the animal was uninjured and remained in an enclosure following the incident and there is no wider risk to the public”
BBC ONE West gave the story sustained regional coverage, with eyewitness and family testimony, inquest details and the practical impact on the park. It was especially strong on the mental health background, the two fences climbed and the park reopening, while keeping a sober, community-focused tone.
- “A man has died from serious injuries after entering a Tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.”
- “William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved and William loved them back.”
- “Yorkshire Wildlife Park has reopened for visitors for the first time since a man was mauled to death by a tiger on Saturday.”
Channel 4's coverage was a concise newsroom update early in the story. It focused on police confirmation that a man had entered the enclosure and was attacked, the serious injury, the park closure and the warning against sharing online footage. It did not carry the later identity, inquest or reopening details.
- “Yorkshire police say a man was attacked by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park earlier this afternoon after he entered the animal's enclosure.”
- “Police are still trying to make contact with the man's family tonight.”
- “The park says they're going to be working closely with authorities now to try and ascertain what's happened here”
ITV1 combined emotional eyewitness testimony with clear police and inquest updates. It covered the death, the decision not to euthanise the tiger, the victim's mental health history and the family's distress over footage posted online, including by Donald Trump. Its tone was personal and victim-focused.
- “A man has suffered serious injuries after entering the Tiger enclosure at a British zoo.”
- “South Yorkshire Police has confirmed that the man involved in that incident has sadly died.”
- “The tiger that fatally attacked a man at a Yorkshire Wildlife Park will not be euthanised.”
5 kept its coverage short and headline-led, focusing on the death, the family tribute and the mental illness background. It also gave space to a graphic eyewitness account and to the Born Free Foundation's call for an urgent review of how close people feel to wild animals.
- “A man has died after being attacked by a tiger at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.”
- “The family of William Chapman, the man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, have paid tribute to him.”
- “The Born Free Foundation wants an urgent review, warning social media can make us feel closer to wild animals than is natural.”
BBC NEWS placed the story in national and international roundups, moving from the initial death to the family tribute, inquest evidence and the social media controversy. It was authoritative and contextual, often pairing the Doncaster story with other major news and giving clear summaries of the park's Land of the Tigers enclosure.
- “police have said that a man who was attacked by a tiger at a wildlife park has now died.”
- “William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved and William loved them back.”
- “The family of a man who was killed by a tiger after he entered its enclosure at a wildlife park in South Yorkshire have paid tribute to him as a bright, warm and engaging young man.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.