"Man Killed by Zoo Tiger Jumped Into Enclosure While Dancing"

Eyewitness accounts have emerged stating that a man killed in a Siberian tiger attack at a UK wildlife park was wandering around the enclosure wearing headphones just before the incident and jumped straight into the enclosure.

According to the British daily The Times on the 11th (local time), witnesses reported that a tall man in his early 20s was seen lingering around the Yorkshire Wildlife Park on the afternoon of the 10th, even asking someone to take a picture of him with the tigers in the background, before climbing over the fence and jumping into the tiger enclosure.

A video circulating online captures the man, who lost his life in the tiger attack, shouting, "Stop, no!"

Park staff who realized the situation attempted to drive the tiger away by firing acoustic devices, but they could not prevent the accident.

When emergency responders arrived at the scene, the man had already died after being bitten in the neck and chest areas by the tiger.

Ella Ford (24), who visited the park with her boyfriend, testified, "The man wearing headphones paced around (the tiger enclosure), climbed up the fence, jumped into the enclosure, and then crawled toward the tiger."

Anthony Hunt (22) first spotted the victim while parking his car at the zoo with his group.

He said that while parking, he saw the man walking fast while dancing with headphones on, thinking he might be someone with special needs, and added, "The man pushed away another female visitor who tried to stop him, stood on top of the tiger enclosure fence, and jumped inside."

Hunt vividly described the scene, saying, "It looked like a performance. The victim sat down in a viewing area where everyone could see, crawled over, prayed, and bowed to the tiger. It was as if he was waiting for the tiger."

Another visitor, Marie Miller, stated that the victim was clearly alone and that she saw him ask a stranger to take a picture of him against the backdrop of the tigers.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed on the 11th, the day after the accident.

While expressing deep condolences to the family of the deceased, the zoo stated that it would not euthanize the tiger involved in the incident.

Local police announced that they had notified the victim's family of the accident and that the family is receiving support.

Opened in 2009, the Yorkshire Wildlife Park spans 260 acres (approximately 318,000 pyeong).

The Siberian tigers at this park inhabit an enclosure spanning 2 acres (approximately 2,400 pyeong).

(Photo: Capture from social media X, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.