Zoo expert raises 'important question' about Yorkshire Wildlife Park after man 'jumped into tiger enclosure'
An 'important question must be asked' about the safety of zoos after a man died from injuries he suffered when he entered a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
At 1:35pm on 10 October, South Yorkshire Police received reports of a man entering the tiger enclosure, and was 'subsequently attacked'.
Emergency services rushed to the scene but sadly, the man was pronounced dead. Yorkshire Wildlife Park has been closed ever since and have announced that the tiger, named Altai, is not going to be euthanised as a result.
Will Travers OBE, co-founder of the group Born Free which advocates for better treatment of wild animals and the eventual phasing out of zoos, told LADbible that his thoughts were with the man's family and friends, as well as with the 'staff, visitors, and emergency responders caught up in this deeply distressing incident'.
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Travers said he was also 'thinking of Altai, a wild animal placed in an extraordinary and deeply distressing situation through no fault of his own'.
An important question about the safety standards of zoos
He went on to say that he would not 'speculate about how or why the man entered the enclosure', nor claim that there might have been something that could have been in place to stop this as he didn't know the details.
But he did say 'there is an important question that needs to be asked' about the safety standards of zoos.
"Zoo standards contain detailed provisions designed to keep dangerous animals securely inside their enclosures and prevent them from escaping," he said.
"They also address locked doors and gates, designating restricted areas, perimeter security and stand-off barriers intended to prevent people coming into direct contact with Category 1A Hazardous Animals.
"But are the standards equally clear about ensuring enclosure fencing and construction are designed to prevent someone, a member of the public, getting in?"
'Protecting people and protecting animals must go hand in hand'
Travers claimed that Born Free's initial review and the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice 'suggests this issue needs much closer examination'.
Born Free declared they would be getting in touch with the government and the UK Zoos Expert Committee to ask whether there were clear standards on unauthorised public access.
"Surely, zoo safety must work both ways: keeping dangerous wild animals in and keeping people out. Protecting people and protecting animals must go hand in hand," Travers added.
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) told LADbible it would be 'premature to suggest that existing zoo safety procedures are inadequate or that significant changes are required' while an investigation was still ongoing.
Extensive regulatory and operational safeguards are already in place. The safety of visitors, animals and staff is the highest priority for zoos, and the sector operates under strict licensing, inspection and safety requirements.
They said: "All zoos must be licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act and comply with the accompanying Standards of Modern Zoo Practice.
"These standards already require zoos to take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access to animal areas through appropriate barriers, fencing, gates, locks and other security measures.
"These systems are specifically designed according to the species involved, the risks they present and the layout of their habitat."
They went on to say that zoos regularly underwent inspections and if the investigation 'a serious incident does not in itself demonstrate that the wider system is inadequate'.
BIAZA said that any recommendations should be acted on if they are made as a result of the investigation.
What witnesses saw at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Witnesses to the incident claimed that the man 'climbed a few barriers' to enter the enclosure and then 'jumped in and crawled in front of the tiger, where the tiger was perched and just lay there'.
They told the BBC the man started 'shouting for help' after the tiger grabbed him, and they didn't know why he went into the enclosure.
Anthony Hunt and his girlfriend Scarlet Hogan told The Telegraph that a mother 'desperately tried to pull back' the man but he overpowered her and entered the tiger enclosure.
Joe Harker