Inquest Reveals Mental Health History
The opening of the inquest into the death of William Chapman, the 24-year-old man mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, England, was held at Doncaster Coroner's Court on Thursday (15/10/2026). The hearing revealed Chapman had a long history of mental illness, including a schizophrenia diagnosis and previous bouts of psychosis.
Coroner's officer Caitlin Brookes said Chapman's family had expressed a number of concerns about his contact with mental health services before his death. Chapman was under adult mental health services in Doncaster but was described as a highly functioning and independent person with no care requirements. The Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation trust has launched an investigation following his death.
Chapman, who worked as a self-employed online trader, visited the wildlife park on October 10. At around 1:30 p.m., he climbed two fences and entered the tiger enclosure, where he was approached by an Amur tiger named Altai. The physical contact that followed caused severe traumatic injuries that rapidly led to his death, Brookes said.
Cause of Death and Next Hearing
An initial post-mortem examination by Dr Laszlo Karsai, a consultant histopathologist, concluded the cause of death was primary traumatic injuries and animal interaction. Senior coroner Nicola Mundy stressed the findings were provisional and would be explored more fully when the inquest resumes on March 18 next year.
Park staff secured the tiger and paramedics who arrived at the scene confirmed Chapman's death. His stepfather traveled to the mortuary to identify his body on October 13.
Tiger Will Not Be Euthanized, Park Closed
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said the tiger Altai, an endangered Amur tiger, would not be euthanized. The park remains closed while Doncaster Council opened a health and safety investigation under its licensing authority, working with police and health agencies.
Meanwhile, Chapman's family urged the public to stop circulating footage of the attack, which they said was causing severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. The appeal came after US President Donald Trump shared a video of the incident on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, followed by an apparently AI-generated video.
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