Family of Tiger Attack Victim Requests Removal of Viral Footage

The family of William Chapman, a 23-year-old man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, has issued a public plea for the removal and cessation of video footage depicting the fatal incident. The request follows a post on the Truth Social platform by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who shared the footage on October 13 accompanied by the caption, "don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT."

Mr. Chapman died on October 10 at the wildlife park near Doncaster in northern England. Following the incident, his family released a statement describing him as a "bright, warm and engaging young man" who had struggled with significant mental illness for several years. They noted that it is the responsibility of the coroner to determine the extent to which his medical history contributed to his death.

In their statement, the family expressed that the circulation of the footage is causing them severe distress during an exceptionally vulnerable time. They have formally asked the public to stop sharing the media content, which they characterized as deeply offensive.

Following the initial post, the former president shared a second video, which appeared to be AI-generated, depicting himself taming and playing with a tiger.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has confirmed that the tiger involved in the incident, an endangered Amur tiger named Altai, will not be euthanised. The facility remains closed to the public while local authorities conduct a formal health and safety investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.