► A man who witnessed a tiger killing a man at Yorkshire Wildlife Park over the weekend has described his final moments.
Anthony Hunt said he watched as the tiger “sniffed around and circled” the man who didn’t seem phased at all, before it launched its attack.
Mr Hunt said the last thing he saw was “The tiger’s jaw latched on the man’s neck”.
The victim, who has not been named but is believed to be a man in his 20s, climbed into the enclosure at the park at lunchtime on Saturday, after earlier asking people to take pictures of him with the animal behind him.
The man was then fatally injured by a 30-stone Siberian tiger called Altai in front of families.
Visitors to the park have told how the man was seen behaving “strangely” in the lead up to the attack, with some suggesting he may have had learning difficulties or mental health problems.
One witness told the Mail that the victim appeared to take selfies in the enclosure before he appeared to get on the ground to pray: “It looked like a performance,” the witness said, adding: “He was on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger. He had his arms wide open like he was saying, ‘Come here, tiger, kill me’.”
At that point the witness said the tiger attacked the man.
The witnesses said the victim appeared to be speaking a “different language while he was praying” and added that the ritual he performed near the tiger looked to be “religious”.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which will remain closed today, has confirmed that Altai will not be euthanised as a result of the incident.
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