US President Donald Trump shared footage appearing to show the fatal tiger attack on William Chapman at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England on Tuesday.
The post went out despite a police appeal urging the public not to circulate distressing images of the incident.
Chapman died after entering the tiger enclosure on Saturday, October 10, according to the reported account of the incident.
South Yorkshire Police said emergency services were contacted shortly after 1:30 p. m.
on October 10.
Chapman, believed to be in his mid-20s, climbed into the enclosure and was attacked. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterward.
Trump posted the video on his Truth Social platform with the caption, "Don't ever mess with nature! President DJT."
The footage appears to show a tiger clawing and biting a man and was apparently recorded by a bystander at the park.
The video appears consistent with witness accounts describing the fatal encounter, including reports that the tiger grabbed the back of the man's shirt while he pointed a finger at the animal as it pawed at him.
Chapman, believed to be from High Wycombe, had also posted a separate video on his Instagram page filmed inside the enclosure shortly before the attack.
In that recording, he is seen slowly approaching the tiger and can be heard breathing heavily.
South Yorkshire Police had previously asked the public not to share "distressing footage" of the incident.
Family Statement and Unanswered Questions
On Tuesday night, Chapman's family released a statement paying tribute to him and describing him as "bright, warm and engaging."
The family also disclosed that he had experienced significant mental health difficulties for several years and had been prescribed strong medication.
The family described the impact of his death and their difficulty processing the circumstances surrounding it.
"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened," Chapman's family said in a statement.
Chapman's parents also expressed hope that the authorities would investigate the circumstances that led to their son's actions.
"Hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did," Chapman's parents said, as quoted in the family's statement.
Questions have also been raised about a hand gesture visible in footage of the encounter.
It has been suggested that the gesture could have represented the sign for "bad" in Makaton, a communication system used by some people with learning disabilities.
The available account does not establish the meaning of the gesture.
About a minute after sharing the footage of Chapman's death, Trump posted a compilation of big cat attacks on people to Truth Social.
The compilation included an AI-generated video depicting a lion breaking through the glass of its enclosure to attack a zookeeper.
