Visitors are staying away as a Yorkshire zoo reopens where a man was mauled to death on Saturday.

Altai the tiger was pictured for the first time this morning as the big cat enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, welcomed back guests.

William Chapman, 24, was killed after climbing into the pen on Saturday afternoon, where he was attacked by one of the park's two rare Amur tigers, a 200kg-male named Altai.

The former child star, who was classed as vulnerable with a history of 'significant' mental health problems, was declared dead at the scene, with his family raising concerns over the treatment he had received prior to his death.

The park had remained closed since the incident but reopened to visitors on Friday morning.

As punters returned to the Land of the Tigers exhibit, security had been increased and park bosses asked for guests to be 'understanding and respectful' to staff. 

After the park opened its doors, a slow stream of visitors were seen entering the zoo and making their way past the tiger enclosure.

Zookeepers were on hand to greet guests and answer questions about the big cats as they watched over the raised viewing platform.

Altai was seen resting in the shade before taking a large hunk of meat given to him by staff. One keeper said the big cat was 'doing fine' in the wake of the tragedy. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail today while at the park visitors said security had been increased since Mr Chapman's death. One woman said: 'I have never seen so much security. I suppose they have to be wary of copycat attempts.

'People who have seen what has happened to poor fellow may come here with the intention of ending it all. I come here a lot because I live locally.'

She added: 'Sometimes you do not see the tigers because the closure is so big and wooded.

'But today the tigers have come right up to the fence as if they have missed the public.

'They often swap the male and female around because they both like to opportunity of drinking from the waterfall.

'I don't think it [visiting the tiger enclosure] is ghoulish. People just want to see the animals.'

A man added: 'I have seen Yorkshire Wildlife Park staff in ordinary civilian clothes as well as in their uniforms.

'They are obviously not taking any chances. This is as close to a tiger I ever want to get.'

A sign with information about Altai appears to have been removed from the exhibit, while a board inviting visitors to observe them being fed had been taped over. 

Some visitors were spotted queuing outside the park ahead of time today, with many saying on social media they were keen to offer their support to staff in the wake of the attack.

A sign outside the entrance featuring a picture of a cheetah advertised a 'today only' deal in which they could upgrade their ticket to an annual membership for £60.

Countless posts also expressed love for Altai, with supporters saying the 'beautiful' tiger did 'nothing wrong'.

One said: 'Such a stunning boy... it was a terrible tragedy but we must remember that he is still a wild animal and their instinct kicks in when someone invades their territory.

'So heartbreaking for the family but I am glad that the park made the right decision regarding the fate of that beautiful tiger.'

In the minutes before the fatal attack, Mr Chapman had been dancing on a raised walkway above the tiger pen while listening to music in his AirPods, and asked a park visitor to take photos of him with Altai in the background.

Mr Chapman, who guests described as not seeming 'attached to reality', then climbed two fences to enter the enclosure, where he posted a final video to Instagram of himself approaching the tiger.

After it attacked, zookeepers are said to have done everything they could to stop Altai, including firing five loud acoustic gun blasts in an attempt to scare him.

Emergency services rushed to the scene at 1.35pm, but Mr Chapman was confirmed to have died at the scene. 

Yorkshire Wildlife Park later confirmed Altai was uninjured and would not be euthanised as a result of the incident. 

A statement from Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort yesterday announced it would be reopening today, and said: 'Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman who sadly lost his life.

'The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff team and animals remain our highest priority.'

It added: 'As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time.

'We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected.'

At an inquest opening on Thursday, it was heard that following a post-mortem, Mr Chapman's provisional cause of death was listed as 'multiple traumatic injuries' after his encounter with the tiger. 

It heard that he had a history of mental illness, a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had suffered previous bouts of psychosis. 

'His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his death,' coroner's officer Caitlin Brookes said.

At the time of his death, Mr Chapman was a self-employed online trader who was under the care of Doncaster Mental Health Services but was 'highly functioning and independent with no care requirements', the inquest heard.

Ms Brookes said the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust had launched an investigation following Mr Chapman's death.

The City of Doncaster Council, the licensing authority for the zoo, has launched a health and safety probe, while South Yorkshire Police also investigate the matter.