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The troubled former child actor mauled to death by a tiger at a UK wildlife park had climbed two fences to jump into the predator’s enclosure before suffering “multiple traumatic injuries,” coroners said Thursday.
William Chapman, 24, had been diagnosed with “schizophrenia” and suffered “previous bouts of psychosis” before being mauled to death in front of fellow parkgoers on Saturday at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England.
“[Chapman] climbed two fences and entered the tiger enclosure,” the coroner said at a hearing into his shocking caught-on-camera death, according to Yorkshire Live.
“He approached the tiger and following an interaction suffered multiple traumatic injuries.”
The provisional cause of death is multiple traumatic injuries and animal interaction.
Chapman, a trader, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 5-year-old Siberian tiger, Altai, was detained by wildlife park staffers.
His family chose not to attend the opening of his inquest at Doncaster Coroners Court — which has now been adjourned to March 18 next year.
But they told coroners in advance that Chapman “had a history of mental illness, a diagnosis of schizophrenia” and had been under the care of mental health services.
“His family have expressed a number of concerns in relation to his contact with mental health services leading up to his death,” the coroner said.
Chapman was remembered by loved ones as “a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.”
It’s not known why Chapman entered the enclosure. He recorded video from inside the predator’s enclosure before being mauled to death.
He was seen “pacing around with his headphones in” and “happily dancing” before asking fellow zoo-goers to snap a picture of him with the tiger in the background, according to witnesses.
Chapman reportedly told Altai to “stop being naughty” before it pounced on him, dragging him to a wooded part of the enclosure and killing him.
Park officials confirmed the tiger would not be euthanized in light of the tragedy.
Chapman previously appeared in a 2009 two-part miniseries on UK TV titled “May Contain Nuts.”
Harry Potter actor Shirley Henderson – aka Moaning Myrtle — was among the stars of the show.
Chapman also attended the Jackie Palmer Stage School, which boasts multiple stars including Eddie Redmayne and James Corden as alumni.