William Chapman, 23, was killed by a tiger after entering its enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chapman's family described him as "bright, warm and engaging" in a statement released Tuesday. They noted he had suffered from "significant mental illness" over several years and had been prescribed "strong medication," adding that "it will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death."
An eyewitness reported seeing Chapman wearing headphones and "pacing around" near the enclosure before he entered it. Mobile phone footage believed to be from Chapman shows him approaching the tiger across a patch of grass inside the pen. The incident occurred shortly after 13:30 BST on Saturday and led to the evacuation and ongoing closure of the park.
South Yorkshire Police said Chapman's family is being supported by specialist officers. The family requested privacy, stating that "the publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time."
"The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened," their statement said. "The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."
City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the death. Dan Swaine, the council's executive director of place, said the council was "deeply saddened" by the incident and sent its "deepest sympathies" to Chapman's family and those present at the scene.
Chapman was a former pupil of the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe. As a child, he appeared in the ITV production "May Contain Nuts" and the BBC series "True Stories," portraying Edward Jenner.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed the Amur tiger involved, called Altai, remained in the enclosure and would not be euthanised. Staff said their "thoughts and heartfelt sympathies" were with Chapman's family.