A man has died after a tiger attacked him at a wildlife park near Doncaster.
William Chapman, 23, entered the tiger’s enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday and died from the attack.
The family of the deceased paid tribute to him, calling him bright, warm and engaging.
According to a statement released by the family on Tuesday, Chapman had suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and had been prescribed strong medication.
City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the death. The park remains closed while the investigation continues.
The family said it was for the coroner to decide whether his mental illness played a part in his death.
They are utterly devastated by the loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.
The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why their son did what he did.
An eyewitness described seeing Chapman wearing headphones and pacing around near the enclosure before he went in.
Mobile phone footage, believed to be from Chapman, appears to show the inside of the enclosure as he approaches the tiger across a patch of grass.
The Jackie Palmer Stage School, where Chapman had been a former pupil, also posted a tribute on Tuesday.
The school said it was a privilege to be part of his journey and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Staff at Yorkshire Wildlife Park have separately said their thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with Chapman’s family.
They confirmed that the rare Amur tiger, called Altai, remained in the enclosure and would not be euthanised.
The incident took place shortly after 13:30 BST on Saturday.
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