Tributes paid to man killed by tiger at UK wildlife park

The family of 23-year-old William Chapman has paid tribute to him following his death in a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The family noted that Chapman suffered from significant mental illness and has requested that the public stop sharing graphic footage of the incident.
Why it matters
The case highlights the intersection of mental health crises and public safety, while raising ethical questions about the circulation of sensitive media.
The family of William Chapman, who was killed by a tiger at a wildlife park, have described the 23-year-old as a "bright, warm and engaging young man".
Mr Chapman, who was killed when he entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on Saturday, had suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years", his family added in a statement.
"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened," they said.
The statement urged people to stop sharing video footage of the incident.
"The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time," they said.
"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.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
What happened in the Yorkshire tiger attack? Police issue update on man killed in enclosure
Man killed in tiger attack at wildlife park named
Trump shares bizzare AI video of himself taming tiger
Family pays tribute to 'warm and engaging' man killed in tiger attack
Trump, White House post video of UK man killed by tiger
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in