Yorkshire wildlife park stays closed as inquiry continues
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained shut on Monday while police and safety officials investigated Saturday’s fatal incident.
There is news on this story (Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 14:04): Tiger park to stay closed as safety probe begins
Updates
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed on Tuesday, the fourth day after Saturday’s fatal incident. City of Doncaster Council, the park’s licensing authority, has launched a health and safety investigation. (Press Association, Yorkshire Wildlife Park)
A visitor said the man had been happily enjoying the tiger exhibit and had asked a stranger to photograph him shortly before he entered the enclosure. (The Guardian)
Eyewitnesses reported that a woman visiting with two children tried to hold the man back before he entered the tiger enclosure. (The Independent)
Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed throughout Monday as investigations continued into the death of a man who entered a tiger enclosure. South Yorkshire Police said the tiger was unharmed and that there was no wider risk to the public.
The park said on its website that it was working with the authorities to establish what happened. The closure was extended after visitors were told the park would not reopen on Monday, and no date has been set for a return to normal operations.
South Yorkshire Police said officers received reports at 13:35 on Saturday that a man had entered the enclosure. Emergency services attended, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said specialist officers were supporting his family.
The force has not published the man’s identity or offered a conclusion about why he entered the enclosure. It has asked people not to share videos circulating online, saying they could cause further distress.
Sky News reported that City of Doncaster Council had opened a health and safety investigation. That process is separate from the police inquiry and could examine the park’s procedures, the enclosure and the response to the incident.
The park said the tiger was safe and well and would not be euthanised. Staff were receiving specialist support, according to a statement reported by Sky News. Police also said the animal remained inside the enclosure after the incident.
The attraction, known as Land of the Tigers, is designed for visitors to view Amur tigers from a raised walkway. Sky News reported that it remained unclear whether the tiger enclosure would reopen in its usual form when the wider park eventually resumes operations.
The available information establishes the closure, the death and the existence of separate investigations. It does not yet establish the cause of the incident or whether any safety rules were breached.
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The article is based on a police statement, the park’s public notice and an independently reported update. It avoids speculation about the victim, the cause and possible fault.
- confirmed Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed on Monday 12 October. — The park’s visitor information and Sky News both reported that it would remain closed for the whole of Monday. source
- confirmed A man entered the tiger enclosure on Saturday and later died at the scene. — South Yorkshire Police gave the time of the report, the entry into the enclosure and the death at the scene. source
- confirmed Police said the tiger was uninjured and there was no wider risk to the public. — Both points appear in the police update. source
- confirmed City of Doncaster Council opened a health and safety investigation. — Sky News reported the council investigation in its Monday update. source
- confirmed The tiger will not be euthanised and park staff are receiving support. — Sky News reported the park’s statement on the tiger and staff support. source
Editor's note
The new development is the park’s continued closure and the reported council safety investigation. The police account confirms the death, the tiger’s condition and the absence of wider public risk; the cause and any possible breach remain unknown.Sources
- Update on incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park — South Yorkshire Police
- Yorkshire Wildlife Park opening times — Yorkshire Wildlife Park
- UK wildlife park to remain closed after man's death in tiger enclosure — Sky News
The story so far
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 20:11 Yorkshire wildlife park stays closed as inquiry continues (this article)
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 14:04 Tiger park to stay closed as safety probe begins
More on this in other media
- The Guardian — „yorkshire wildlife park”
- BBC News — „yorkshire wildlife park”
- Sky News — „yorkshire wildlife park”