The family of 24-year-old William Chapman, who was killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, has raised questions about his contact with mental health services in the period leading up to his death, an inquest has heard.

Chapman died on 10 October 2026 after climbing over two fences and entering an enclosure housing Altai, a Siberian tiger weighing approximately 190kg. During a hearing at Doncaster Coroner’s Court, it emerged that the young man had a history of mental illness, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had experienced episodes of psychosis.

“His family have raised a number of concerns regarding his contact with mental health services in the period leading up to his death,” said coroner’s officer Caitlin Brooks.

Chapman had previously been receiving support from mental health services in Doncaster. However, the court heard that he had been considered “highly functioning and independent, with no care needs”. The Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health services in England, has launched an internal investigation following the incident.

A post-mortem examination provisionally recorded his cause of death as “multiple injuries” sustained in the tiger attack, which “rapidly led to his death”.

‘He suffered from severe mental illness’

In a statement, Chapman’s family said he had suffered from “severe mental illness” for several years and had been prescribed powerful medication. “William was an intelligent, warm and sociable young man who was very much loved by his family – and William loved his family,” his relatives said.

“Sadly, William had suffered from severe mental illness for several years and, as a result, had been prescribed powerful medication. It is for the coroner to determine what role this played in his death. We ask everyone to respect that process,” they added.

As a child, Chapman appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts, alongside Shirley Henderson and Darren Boyd. He also portrayed Edward Jenner in the BBC series True Stories.

The full inquest into the circumstances surrounding his death is scheduled for 18 March 2027.

The final moments before he entered the tiger enclosure

Visitors to the wildlife park described Chapman as appearing detached from reality shortly before the incident. According to witnesses, he had been dancing while listening to music through headphones and pacing up and down a walkway before entering the tiger enclosure.

Shortly before the attack, Chapman asked a female visitor to take a photograph of him with a tiger in the background. Altai was lying in the shade of a tree at the time, playing with a fallen branch.

Minutes later, the 24-year-old began climbing over the walkway in an attempt to enter the fenced enclosure. An older woman tried to pull him back, but witnesses said she was “not strong enough” to restrain him.

🚨 NEW: The man mauled by a tiger after entering its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park has been named as William Chapman He posted a video of himself inside the enclosure just moments before the attack https://t.co/gTFIZXXQPS

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 13, 2026

Video footage recorded before the tragedy showed Chapman filming Altai as the tiger rested on a raised wooden platform before slowly approaching the animal. Chapman’s heavy breathing could be heard in the background, along with the voices of shocked visitors.

In other footage of the attack, Chapman could be heard repeatedly shouting “stop” and making the Makaton sign for “bad”. Makaton is a communication system commonly used by people who experience difficulties communicating. The 24-year-old could also be heard telling the tiger to “stop being naughty”.

Keepers at the wildlife park reportedly did “everything they could” to drive Altai away, setting off five loud explosive sounds in an attempt to frighten the animal. Two ambulances and a helicopter arrived at the scene at 1.35pm, but Chapman died at the scene.

WARNING: Graphic images

En fin…y @realDonaldTrump "de cachondeo" con el tema de la muerte de este hombre William Chapman. Al parecer tenía problemas mentales y saltó al recinto del tigre en YorkShire. Acabó muerto en el hospital por las heridas. Aviso: imágenes duras, no apto para personas sensibles. https://t.co/x8perlg3VW

— Raistlin Majere (@Sabioscuro) October 14, 2026

Visitor Del Taylor, whom Chapman had approached to ask for a photograph, said in a TikTok video that was subsequently deleted that he had appeared “so happy”. She also urged people making cruel jokes about the tragedy to stop.

“He came over, stood next to us, handed me his phone and asked me to take a photograph of him. If you had seen him, without me saying any more, you would understand why I’m saying what I’m saying,” she said.

Trump faces backlash over AI-generated video mocking tiger attack

US President Donald Trump is facing fierce criticism after sharing footage of Chapman’s fatal tiger attack with his 13 million followers on Truth Social, accompanied by the caption “Don’t ever mess with nature!”

Trump subsequently posted an AI-generated video depicting himself playfully wrestling a tiger, set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

NEWS: President Trump has CAUSED a MELTDOWN after posting an AI video of himself wrestling and then hugging a tiger, following his earlier Tuesday post of real footage showing a tiger mauling a man in England after he jumped into the enclosure. 23-year-old William Chapman climbed into the Amur tiger’s enclosure last Saturday at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster and was pronounced dead at the scene. The tiger will not be euthanized.

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) October 14, 2026

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard accused Trump of exploiting the tragedy “for little more than a cheap laugh on social media”, calling his actions deeply disrespectful to the grieving family.

Chapman’s relatives said that “deeply offensive media content” circulating online was causing them “severe distress”, while Will Travers, co-founder of the wildlife charity Born Free Foundation, said he was “absolutely disgusted and outraged” by the president’s post.

Altai will not be put down

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which remains closed, has confirmed that Altai will not be euthanised following the incident. The tiger had been brought to the park to breed with its only other tiger, Tsuna, a female Siberian tiger.

The two animals live in an enclosure covering approximately 8,000 square metres, featuring woodland and a pool with a waterfall.

Doncaster Council, the authority responsible for licensing the wildlife park, has launched a health and safety investigation. The council’s chief executive, Dan Swaine, said local authorities were working with police, health services and park management.

“At this stage, we will not make any further comment about the individual or the investigation and ask that the privacy of everyone involved is respected at this difficult time,” he said.