By Mark Tanos
A man climbed into a tiger enclosure at an English wildlife park over the weekend and was killed by the animal inside.
South Yorkshire Police said officers received reports at 1:35 p.m. Saturday that a man had entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster. The tiger attacked and left him with serious injuries, and he died at the scene despite attempts to save him, according to the police.
The victim has not been identified. Police said his family had been informed and were being helped by specially trained officers. (RELATED: Cat Ladies Rejoice! New Feline Species Discovered For First Time In Over 100 Years)
Yorkshire Ambulance Service sent two land ambulances, an air ambulance and a doctor to the park, ITV News reported.
The tiger came through the attack unharmed and stayed inside its pen, police said, adding that the public was never at risk. The park was cleared after the incident.
Footage of the attack spread across the internet, and police asked people to stop sharing it. The clips show the man being clawed and grabbed by the tiger while onlookers watched, according to the New York Post.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed a serious incident at the tiger enclosure and said its emergency procedures started immediately. The park said it was working with authorities to establish what happened and shut its gates for the weekend.
“The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and animals remain our highest priority,” the park said in a statement posted to social media. “The park is now closed and will remain closed tomorrow.”
The enclosure lies within the park’s Land of the Tiger exhibit, a two-acre reserve built for Amur tigers that opened in 2011, ITV News reported. The subspecies is endangered, with about 500 left in the wild. Photos on the park’s website show a raised walkway for visitors and fencing above the ground where the cats roam.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park opened in 2009 and sits roughly 160 miles north of London.
How the man got past the barriers remains unclear. Police said officers stayed on site to carry out their inquiries.
