Man who entered tiger cage in England dies

A man thought to be in his 20s broke through the fence of the tiger enclosure in the Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, England. An eyewitness stated that the man was "anxious" seconds after he crossed the fence and noted that the tiger "grabbed him by the throat".

In videos published online, the tiger named Altai is seen circling around the person entering the cage and then shaking the man like a rag doll. The man was heard shouting "No, no" during the attack. In the footage, it was noteworthy that before the attack, the man was kneeling on the ground with his arms outstretched and pointing his finger towards the animal and shouting "Stop" repeatedly.

'HE DANCED BEFORE CLIMBING THE FENCE'

An eyewitness told The Mail on Sunday newspaper that the man tried to "motivate" himself by "dancing" in the audience area before climbing the fence. Meanwhile, visitors were heard to start shouting desperately to distract the tiger. "I tried to stop him," a woman can be heard saying in the footage.

Zookeepers rushed to the scene, armed with gas-powered acoustic guns, and fired five shots at close range in an attempt to drive the predator away. Yorkshire Ambulance Service sent two ground ambulances and an air ambulance. Paramedics armed with blood transfusion kits were seen working hard to save the victim.

THE INTERVENTION OF HEALTH TEAMS WAS NOT ENOUGH

South Yorkshire Police confirmed the victim died from his injuries. Police announced that they received a report that a man entered the cage at 13.35. "The tiger then attacked the man, causing him serious injuries. Emergency services arrived at the scene and unfortunately, despite the best efforts of medical staff, the man died at the scene. The man's family is aware of the situation and is being supported by specialist police officers. Our thoughts are with them at this sad time," the statement said.

Police officers warned the public not to share images of the attack. The tiger was uninjured and remained in its cage, officials said, adding that there was no wider risk to the public. Following the incident, the zoo was evacuated.

EMERGENCY INTERVENTION PROCEDURES WERE ACTIVE

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Wildlife Park said in a statement on Saturday night: "We can confirm that there was a serious incident at the tiger sanctuary today. Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated and emergency services attended the scene. We are working closely with authorities to establish exactly how the incident occurred. The safety and health of our visitors, staff and animals remains our top priority. The park is currently closed and will remain closed tomorrow."