Family Of Man Killed By Tiger In Yorkshire Says He Was On Mental Illness Medication In Final Days
William Chapman's family shared details about his mental illness, which he suffered from until his final days before being mauled to death by a Siberian tiger.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleA man in England, identified as William Chapman, was mauled to death by a male Siberian tiger on October 10, 2026. The individual lost his life after entering the animal's enclosure in Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster. Footage of him being attacked by the tiger, along with his attempts to save himself, has gone viral online. Following his demise, his family shared a heartfelt tribute for him and revealed details about his mental illness.
William Chapman's family revealed he had been on 'strong medication' before being mauled to death by a tiger
William Chapman tragically lost his life after jumping into a tiger enclosure at England's Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The 23-year-old's family shared a poignant statement after his demise. They shared that they were "utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened." William's sudden demise came as a shock to his family, who wanted to know exactly how things turned out that way.
In their statement, William's family stated that he had suffered from "significant mental illness" over a number of years and was on "strong medication" till his death. The bereaved family has turned to Yorkshire Police, hoping to get crucial information regarding William's untimely death. They stated:
"The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."
It was reportedly for the coroner to decide whether William Chapman's mental illness played a part in his death, and his family asked the public to respect that process. The City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into William's death, and the site of the tragedy has been sealed off as part of the process. The 23-year-old's family remembered him as a "bright" and "warm" person, who gave out and received lots of love. In their words:
"William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back."
The grief-stricken family also asked for privacy and said, "The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time."
More about William Chapman
According to the BBC, William Chapman worked as a child actor. As per William Chapman's IMDb page, he appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Darren Boyd and Shirley Henderson, who is best known for playing 'Moaning Myrtle' in the Harry Potter films. William also essayed the role of a young Edward Jenner in the BBC series True Stories.
Regarding William's profession at the time of his death, nothing is known yet. As for his academic background, he was reportedly a former pupil of the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe. The stage school shared a tribute post for William, stating how heartbroken they were to learn that a bright pass-out student of their institution met with such a tragic fate. Sharing condolences for his family, they wrote:
"We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former student William Chapman. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with William's family and friends during this incredibly difficult time."
In the statement, the institution fondly recalled William Chapman's days as its pupil. They also mentioned that they were glad to have been part of his life journey and "seen him grow, both as a person and as a performer." They added, "he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him."
We extend our heartfelt condolences to William Chapman's family as they cope with his loss.
