Revealed, final hours of the tiger attack victim: Former child actor, 24, mauled to death at Yorkshire zoo shared series of photos online documenting his day before horror unfolded
William Chapman, 24, died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday afternoon. The incident has prompted an inquest and questions about the role of his mental health, which his family say was serious and treated with strong medication.
Images from a now-deleted social media account appear to show Chapman visiting a swimming pool and gym and posing with a crossbow in Doncaster earlier that day. Witnesses said he had been pacing and dancing near the enclosure before approaching Altai, a five-year-old Amur tiger; emergency services arrived at 1.35pm, and Chapman was confirmed dead. His family described him as a much-loved, warm and engaging son, and said the coroner should determine whether his medication played a part.
- William Chapman, 24, died after entering a tiger enclosure in Yorkshire.
- Social media images document parts of his final day in Doncaster.
- An inquest is due to open at Doncaster Coroner’s Court.
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Yorkshire Wildlife Park is a zoo in South Yorkshire that keeps animals, including Altai, a five-year-old Amur tiger. Its enclosures are designed to separate visitors from the animals, and entering one can be fatal.
William Chapman was 24 and had been a child actor. His family say he had serious mental health problems and was taking strong medication; they have asked the coroner to consider whether it played a part in his death.
An inquest is a formal investigation into a death, led by a coroner. It can establish how someone died and consider relevant circumstances, including the role of any treatment, but it does not decide criminal guilt.