Family pays tribute to "bright, warm and engaging" man who died after tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
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The family of William Chapman have paid tribute following the incident on Saturday
The family of a man who was killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park have described him as a “bright, warm and engaging young man”.
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William Chapman, 23, was mauled to death when he entered the tiger enclosure at Doncaster’s Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday (October 10), had suffered from “significant mental illness over a number of years”, his family added in a statement.
“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened,” they said on Tuesday.
“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.
“The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.”
In the statement, his family added: “William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.
“Sadly, William suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication.
“It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death.
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“We would ask everybody to respect that process.”
Mr Chapman previously attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
In a tribute shared on Facebook, the school said it was “deeply saddened” to hear of the loss of its former student, adding “we loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer”.
Mr Chapman appeared in ITV’s May Contain Nuts, alongside Harry Potter actress Shirley Henderson, and in the BBC’s True Stories series, according to IMDB.
Emergency services were contacted shortly after 1.30pm on October 10 when Mr Chapman, who police said was visiting the park alone, entered the enclosure.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The park will remain closed on Wednesday for the fifth day following the attack.