Yorkshire Wildlife Park has issued an update on the fate of Altai the tiger after he killed a man who entered the enclosure last weekend.
In a new statement, the zoo has confirmed it will reopen on Friday, October 16.
An inquest confirmed on Thursday that William Chapman, 24, suffered died from severe injuries sustained during the mauling.
The inquest also heard that he had a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Yorkshire Wildlife park has been closed since the incident. Announcing the reopening date on Thursday evening, the park confirmed that the tiger involved in the incident will not be euthanised.
The statement read: “Yorkshire Wildlife Park will reopen tomorrow (Friday) following the tragic incident that occurred at the park on Saturday.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family, friends and loved ones of William Chapman who sadly lost his life.
“The safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff team and animals remain our highest priority. We would like to thank all the people who have emailed, commented on our social media or contacted us with messages of support and love for our team at this time.”
The park added: “Many people also contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.
“As we welcome visitors back, we would ask everyone to be understanding and respectful towards our staff team, who have shown tremendous professionalism and dedication during an exceptionally difficult time,” the statement added.
“We are providing specialist trauma support and ongoing care for those affected. As enquiries remain ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on circumstances at this time.
“We would like to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and support during this difficult period, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the Park.”
