William Chapman named as 'vulnerable' man in his 20s is killed by tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
From the Newshound archive · first published 12 October 2026 · last updated 14 October 2026.
William Chapman, who danced erratically and asked strangers to photograph him with the tiger before climbing the fence and jumping in, filmed himself on his phone as he approached the 200kg animal while onlookers…Altai, the Amur tiger William Chapman entered the enclosure to approach, will not be euthanised following the attack that killed Chapman on Saturday.
William Chapman's family has described the 23-year-old former child actor as "a bright, warm and engaging young man" who had suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years" and been prescribed strong medication. They say the coroner must decide what role his illness played in his death. Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation and Yorkshire Wildlife Park remains closed. The family has also demanded an end to the sharing of footage from the attack, saying it is causing them "severe distress".
Chapman had appeared as a child alongside Harry Potter actress Shirley Henderson in ITV's 'May Contain Nuts' and in BBC's 'True Stories'.
Witnesses said Chapman overpowered a woman who desperately tried to stop him leaping from a bridge into the enclosure of Altai, a 420-pound Siberian tiger.
Trump shared video of the attack on Truth Social with the caption "Don't ever mess with nature!", adding to the family's distress over the spread of footage.
