- Donald Trump shared footage of the fatal tiger attack on Truth Social, followed by an apparently AI-generated video showing him befriending a tiger.
- William Chapman, 23, died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday (10).
- His family said he had suffered from significant mental illness for several years and urged people to respect the coroner’s investigation.
- The wildlife park remains closed as Doncaster council investigates the incident.
THE family of a 23-year-old man killed by a tiger at a wildlife park in northern England has urged people to stop sharing footage of the fatal attack after US president Donald Trump posted the video on social media, saying its circulation was causing them severe distress.
Trump shared the footage of William Chapman’s death at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday (13), captioning it: “Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT”.
He later posted an apparently AI-generated video depicting himself wrestling with and befriending a tiger. The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account also shared footage of the real incident on X, prompting criticism from some social media users.
In a statement reported by British media on Tuesday, Chapman’s family appealed for the circulation of the footage to stop.
“The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing ... severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this,” they said.
The family described Chapman as a “bright, warm and engaging young man” who was dearly loved by his relatives. They said they were devastated by his death and struggling to come to terms with what had happened.
Family calls for privacy
Chapman entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday (10). He was attacked by the animal and pronounced dead at the scene, despite the efforts of emergency services.
His family said he had experienced “significant mental illness” over several years and had been prescribed strong medication. They stressed that it was for the coroner to determine whether his medical history had contributed to his death.
“It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process,” the statement said.
The family added that they hoped the authorities would establish why he had entered the enclosure.
“The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did,” they said.
South Yorkshire Police said specialist officers were supporting the family.
Footage of the incident has circulated widely online. A mobile phone video, believed to have been recorded by Chapman, appears to show the inside of the enclosure as he approaches the tiger across a grassy area.
An eyewitness reportedly saw him wearing headphones and pacing near the enclosure before entering it.
Investigation launched as park remains closed
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remains closed while the City of Doncaster Council investigates the circumstances surrounding Chapman’s death. No reopening date has been confirmed.
Dan Swaine, the council’s executive director of place, said the authority was “deeply saddened” by the incident and offered its deepest sympathies to Chapman’s family and those who witnessed what happened.
The park confirmed that the tiger involved, an endangered Amur tiger named Altai, would not be euthanised.
Amur tigers are among the world’s most endangered big cats, with an estimated 500 remaining in the wild.
Chapman had previously attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, where he trained as a performer. The school paid tribute to its former pupil, saying it had been a privilege to be part of his journey and that he would be remembered with great fondness.
As a child, he appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts and portrayed Edward Jenner in the BBC series True Stories.
(with inputs from agencies)
