The family of William Chapman, a 23-year-old man fatally mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, has condemned recent social media posts by former U.S. President Donald Trump as “deeply offensive” and causing them significant distress. Chapman died after being attacked by a five-year-old Siberian tiger named Altai at the park near Doncaster.

Trump shared a widely circulated video of the attack on his social media platform, Truth Social, captioning it with the phrase, “Don’t ever mess with nature!” He also posted an AI-generated clip that portrayed himself grappling with the tiger in a fictional scenario set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The AI video, lasting 23 seconds, depicted Trump mimicking Chapman’s last moments before jumping up to tackle the tiger and then laughing while embraced by the animal.

Chapman’s family expressed their devastation and urged the public to refrain from sharing content related to the incident, which they said was causing severe emotional harm during an already difficult time. They highlighted Chapman’s struggles with significant mental illness and noted he was prescribed strong medication. The family emphasized that it would be for the coroner to determine what role, if any, his medical condition and treatment played in the circumstances leading to his death.

As a child, Chapman was a former actor who appeared in ITV’s “May Contain Nuts” alongside actress Shirley Henderson and took part in the BBC educational series “True Stories.” He also trained at the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

In the aftermath of the incident, Yorkshire Wildlife Park remained closed, and local authorities launched a health and safety investigation. City of Doncaster Council, responsible for licensing the park, confirmed an ongoing probe into the tragic event. Executive Director Dan Swaine stated that they are collaborating with police and health agencies while supporting the park throughout the inquiry. Park officials also affirmed that Altai would not be euthanized following the attack.