Family of UK man killed by tiger call for end to 'offensive' online posts

The family of a mentally ill man killed by a tiger at a UK wildlife park have urged people to stop posting “deeply offensive media content” of the attack – as US President Donald Trump uploaded disturbing footage online. 

William Chapman, 23, died from his injuries after being attacked by a tiger when he entered its enclosure on Saturday at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near the northern English city of Doncaster. 

In an online tribute on Tuesday, his family described Chapman as a “bright, warm and engaging young man” who had been suffering from “significant mental illness over a number of years”. 

And they questioned whether the strong medication he was prescribed may have played a role in the incident, while the park remained closed for a fifth day on Wednesday. 

A family statement read: “The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. 

“The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this.” 

Trump posted footage to his 13 million followers on his Truth Social account on Tuesday of Chapman being fatally mauled by the male Amur tiger, sparking a backlash on social media. 

Trump, who regularly posts provocative material on social media, captioned his post “Don’t ever mess with nature!”. 

The 41-second clip was also later shared by the White House’s “Rapid Response 47” account on X. 

And Trump followed it with a video clip of apparently AI-generated visuals of individuals being mauled by big cats. 

Later Tuesday, Trump doubled down and posted an AI-generated video of himself wrestling and befriending a smiling tiger, to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight. 

Users on X, where the “Rapid Response 47” account has 2.3 million followers, questioned the President’s judgment, with one calling the post “sick”. 

Another wrote: “I’m a big supporter but not a fan of this post.” 

An inquest into Chapman’s death is due to open on Thursday in Doncaster. 

He was visiting the zoo alone and it remains unclear how he entered the enclosure. He was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services were called. 

According to videos posted online, Chapman appeared to have filmed the inside of the enclosure with his mobile phone and the moment he approached the tiger. 

Visitors to the park had also filmed the incident from a raised 300m-long walkway that looks down on to the park’s Land Of The Tigers feature. 

The walkway allows visitors to view the park’s Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, in their enclosure, which features woodland, grassland and a waterfall pool. 

There are estimated to be only around 500 of the endangered subspecies left in the wild. 

- AFP