The family of a 23-year-old former child actor mauled to death by a massive Siberian tiger at a British wildlife park has revealed he struggled with serious mental health issues for years, raising heartbreaking questions about what led him to enter the animal’s enclosure.
William Chapman was killed Saturday, October 10, after climbing into a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, England, where he approached a 420-pound tiger named Altai.
In an emotional statement released Tuesday, Chapman’s devastated family described him as a loving young man whose death has left them searching for answers.
“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened,” they said.
Relatives revealed that Chapman had experienced significant mental illness for several years and had been prescribed strong medication. However, they emphasized that it remains unclear whether his condition or treatment played any role in the tragedy.
They hope a coroner’s investigation will help explain why he entered the dangerous enclosure.
Witnesses described seeing Chapman walking around the park wearing headphones and appearing to dance before the incident. He reportedly asked other visitors to take photographs of him with the tiger in the background.
Shortly afterward, he climbed into the enclosure and approached Altai, an endangered Amur tiger, also known as a Siberian tiger.
Footage recorded at the scene showed the enormous animal approaching Chapman before attacking him. Emergency responders rushed to the enclosure after police received reports of the incident around 1:35 p.m.
Despite efforts to save him, Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The wildlife park was immediately evacuated as police and emergency crews secured the area.
Chapman had worked as a child actor, appearing in the British television production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, who played Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films. He also had a credit in the BBC’s True Stories series.
His family remembered him as “a bright, warm and engaging young man” who shared a close bond with his loved ones.
But their grief has been compounded by disturbing footage of the attack spreading rapidly across social media.
Relatives pleaded with the public to stop sharing the videos, saying their circulation was causing additional suffering during an already devastating time.
South Yorkshire Police echoed that request, urging people not to distribute recordings of Chapman’s final moments.
The tiger survived the encounter unharmed and will not be euthanized, according to officials.
Animal welfare advocate and Tiger King personality Carole Baskin also defended the animal, saying it was responding according to its natural instincts rather than acting maliciously.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park said it is cooperating with investigators and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“We are working closely with the authorities to ascertain exactly what happened,” the park said, emphasizing that visitor, employee, and animal safety remains its highest priority.
Authorities are investigating how Chapman gained access to the enclosure, while a coroner will examine the circumstances of his death.
For his grieving family, the unanswered questions remain overwhelming.