Yorkshire Wildlife Park has confirmed that Altai, the tiger involved in a fatal attack on a man who entered its enclosure, will not be euthanised.
The announcement followed the death of a man at the park near Doncaster, northern England, on Saturday, October 10. In a statement issued the following day, the park said Altai was safe and well and expressed its sympathies to the man’s family.
South Yorkshire Police received reports of someone entering the tiger enclosure at approximately 1.35pm on Saturday. The animal attacked the man, causing serious injuries. Despite efforts by emergency medical teams, he died at the scene. His family has been informed and is receiving support from specialist officers.
#Inglaterra 🚨🐅 ¡INGRESÓ AL ESPACIO DE UN TIGRE Y MURIÓ! La Policía de South Yorkshire confirmó el fallecimiento de un hombre tras un ataque en el Yorkshire Wildlife Park. El felino no resultó herido. https://t.co/dMZ0VQTL1e
— EL INCORRECTO (@elincorrectosoy) October 11, 2026
What police have confirmed
The park was evacuated after the incident, and officers remained at the site to investigate. Police said the tiger was uninjured, stayed inside its enclosure and posed no wider threat to the public.
Witness accounts have since added details about the moments before the attack. Two visitors told The Telegraph that a woman tried to prevent the man from entering the enclosure, according to reporting by The Independent. However, the police statement has not established why he entered the restricted area.
Footage of the incident has circulated online. South Yorkshire Police has asked people not to share it as enquiries continue.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed on Sunday, October 11, while staff affected by the incident received specialist support. Sky News reported on Monday morning that the attraction was expected to reopen that day, although access to the tiger enclosure remained unclear.
Altai arrived through a conservation programme
Altai is an Amur tiger, also known as a Siberian tiger. He arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park from Norway’s Dyreparken zoo in February 2025, following a recommendation from the European Endangered Species Programme.
The move was intended to pair him with the park’s resident tigress, Tschuna, as part of efforts to support the endangered animals’ breeding population. The park announced his arrival in March 2025.
Following questions about Altai’s future, the park has explicitly ruled out euthanising him because of the incident. The investigation into the man’s death remains ongoing.
