Man ‘jumps into tiger enclosure’ before animal ‘shot by staff’ at wildlife park

The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park which has been evacuated and closed due to an ongoing emergency incident - with a huge police and paramedic presence at the site. // Eye witnesses say a ?black screen? has been erected around the tiger enclosure while there were reports of ?shots fired? shortly before the evacuation. Multiple witnesses say an ?agitated? male was seen to jump into the enclosure and was grabbed by one of the cats before ?five shots? of what some say was a ?gas canister? into the cage. Photo released 10/10/2026

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has been closed for the rest of today and tomorrow after a ‘serious incident’ at the tiger enclosure.

Eyewitnesses described hearing shots fired after a man jumped into the Land of the Tigers area, with video footage captured by onlookers and shared online showing the animal mauling him.

As he sits on the grass with his arms out, the man, wearing a black sweater, is bitten from behind and thrown around.

The man, visibly distressed, then points a finger at the tiger and firmly shouts, ‘Stop.’

A second clip posted on social media shows the tiger with its teeth in his arm and with an arm around his waist.

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Yorkshire Wildlife Park is home to two Amur tigers: Tschuna, a 17-stone female, and a male named Altai.

The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park which has been evacuated and closed due to an ongoing emergency incident - with a huge police and paramedic presence at the site. // Eye witnesses say a ?black screen? has been erected around the tiger enclosure while there were reports of ?shots fired? shortly before the evacuation. Multiple witnesses say an ?agitated? male was seen to jump into the enclosure and was grabbed by one of the cats before ?five shots? of what some say was a ?gas canister? into the cage.

In the aftermath, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) said the tiger remained in the enclosure after ‘attacking the man’, who has ‘serious injuries’.

‘Officers are working at pace to make contact with the man’s family, and no further detail will be provided at this time,’ added the force.

Police and an air ambulance descended on the scene as horrified visitors were evacuated.

Multiple people recalled seeing the ‘agitated’ male leaping into the enclosure, where he faced off with one of the big cats.

It’s claimed that ‘five shots’ of what some called a ‘gas canister’ were then discharged.

Tia Hanson told Doncaster Free Press: ‘It looks as if someone has jumped into the enclosure.

‘People are saying they heard a gunshot, and they say someone either jumped in or fell in.’

The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park which has been evacuated and closed due to an ongoing emergency incident - with a huge police and paramedic presence at the site. // Eye witnesses say a ?black screen? has been erected around the tiger enclosure while there were reports of ?shots fired? shortly before the evacuation. Multiple witnesses say an ?agitated? male was seen to jump into the enclosure and was grabbed by one of the cats before ?five shots? of what some say was a ?gas canister? into the cage. Photo released 10/10/2026
Endangered Amur tiger Naya with three of her month-old cubs at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. Seven-year-old Naya gave birth to the four cubs, who have not yet been named or sexed, on June 23. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday July 28, 2018. The Amur tiger, formerly known as the Siberian tiger, is one of the largest sub-species of tigers and there are an estimated 500 left in the wild. Photo credit should read: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

She had been at the park with a friend when, at around 2pm, the walkway between the tiger enclosure and the exit was closed.

‘When you’re leaving, you have to walk past the tiger enclosure, and they’ve put up all sorts of black tarpaulin so you couldn’t really see.’

She added that there were ‘loads of police and ambulance people and a stretcher in the enclosure’.

‘It wasn’t nice – there were lots of people who looked really upset.’

Dominic Ford, who visited the park with his four-year-old niece, praised the ‘calm’ staff who ordered the evacuation.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park posted a statement on its website: ‘We can confirm that a serious incident has occurred today at the tiger enclosure.

‘Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and emergency services are currently attending the scene.

‘We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened.’

It added that the safety of visitors, staff, and animals remains the ‘highest priority’.

‘The park is now closed and will remain closed tomorrow.’

A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed that paramedics responded to calls of an incident at 1.33pm.

‘We sent a number of resources, including two land ambulances, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and a doctor.’

Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009, with Land of the Tigers opening in 2011.

The attraction is on a purpose-built two-acre reserve for Amur tigers, an endangered subspecies with around 500 left in the wild.

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