Family of man killed by tiger criticise Donald Trump posts

The family of William Chapman, who was fatally attacked by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, have stated that "deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress." This comes after Donald Trump reposted a video of the incident to his Truth Social platform, which has 13 million followers. Mr Chapman, 23, died on Saturday after entering the tiger enclosure at the park in Doncaster.

In a tribute shared on Tuesday evening, Mr Chapman's family described him as a "bright, warm and engaging young man." They also raised questions about the part his "significant mental illness over a number of years" and prescribed medication may have played in the event. The family stated they are "utterly devastated by their loss" and asked for privacy and for people to stop circulating offensive content.

Donald Trump's social media activity

Mr Trump initially posted a short clip of the attack on Tuesday evening, accompanied by the message: "Don’t ever mess with nature!" The video showed the animal biting and clawing Mr Chapman but did not depict his death. He later shared an AI-generated video of himself appearing to grapple with a tiger, mimicking a gesture made by Mr Chapman.

Mr Chapman, who was visiting the park alone, entered the enclosure shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency services were contacted immediately.

Official investigation launched

City of Doncaster Council, the licensing authority for Yorkshire Wildlife Park, confirmed on Monday that it has begun a health and safety investigation. Dan Swaine, executive director of place at the council, stated they are working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the park. The council has declined to comment further on the individual or the investigation at this time.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed on Wednesday for a fifth day following the incident. In a statement, the park confirmed that Altai, the Amur tiger involved, is "safe and well" and will not be euthanised, following numerous inquiries from the public.

According to reports, Mr Chapman had appeared in ITV's May Contain Nuts and the BBC's True Stories series as a child. His former stage school, Jackie Palmer Stage School, described him as a "former student" whom they "loved watching grow, both as a person and as a performer."