The man mauled to death by a tiger in a UK wildlife park had posted his own video as he calmly approached the resting predator — with his shocking footage catching the screams of onlookers moments before the deadly attack.
William Chapman shared his own video to Instagram minutes before his death as he walked up to Altai, a 420-pound Siberian tiger, after climbing into its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England on Saturday.
“Oh my God!” another park visitor can be heard yelling in the background as Chapman walked toward Altai, who was lying on a raised wooden platform inside his enclosure.
Videos recorded by horrified bystanders showed Chapman being attacked and bitten by the tiger. At one point during a brief pause in the fatal mauling, he appeared to raise a finger toward the animal, seemingly as though he were scolding it.
Police described Chapman as a “vulnerable man in his early 20s.” Before the tragic incident, he had shared several unusual photos on the same Instagram account, including one showing him holding a Bible and a crossbow while gripping an arrow between his teeth.
Witnesses recalled seeing Chapman in high spirits before Saturday’s attack, reportedly dancing happily around the wildlife park. He even approached a stranger and asked her to photograph him with Altai in the background, repeatedly requesting, “One more, one more, one more!”
“Thank you, lady,” Chapman was heard saying in the video, which the witness later handed over to investigators.
Police officers and paramedics rushed to Yorkshire Wildlife Park following the emergency incident on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
“He was so happy,” recalled Del Taylor, the woman who had taken photographs of Chapman shortly before the tragedy.
Witnesses described Chapman’s behavior during the attack as though he was “not attached to reality,” claiming he even told the tiger to “stop being naughty” while the animal was mauling him.
In a desperate attempt to stop the attack, park staff fired two warning shots from a shotgun, prompting Altai to retreat into its pen. Emergency responders then rushed to Chapman’s aid, but despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wildlife park staff fired two warning shots from a shotgun in an effort to frighten Altai and stop the attack. The tiger retreated to its enclosure as emergency responders rushed to help Chapman, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not yet revealed what prompted Chapman to enter the tiger’s enclosure. Reports indicate that he had traveled alone to Yorkshire Wildlife Park from the nearby town of Doncaster, where he was living at the time.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which remained closed on Sunday following the tragedy, confirmed that Altai was “safe and well.” Park officials also assured the public that the Siberian tiger would not be euthanized as a result of the fatal incident.
