VIDEO: Witnesses say man prayed and bowed to tiger before fatal zoo attack in England

A man who was mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England was seen praying and bowing toward the animal after entering its enclosure, according to witnesses quoted by The Telegraph.

Scarlet Hogan, 21, said the man appeared to be in a trance as he approached the Siberian tiger, named Altai. She recalled seeing him take out his phone, apparently to take selfies, before getting down on all fours and bowing toward the animal.

Hogan and her boyfriend, Anthony Hunt, also said a woman visiting the “Land of the Tigers” exhibit with her two children tried desperately to stop the man from entering the enclosure. According to the couple, the woman attempted to pull him back, but he overpowered her and jumped in.

Other witnesses described seeing the man dancing erratically earlier in the day. One visitor said he appeared to be enjoying watching the tiger before entering its enclosure, where the animal attacked him.

The man, whose identity has not been publicly released, was pronounced dead at the scene, South Yorkshire Police said. The park closed for the remainder of the weekend while authorities investigated the incident.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park said its emergency response procedures were immediately activated and confirmed that Altai was safe and would not be euthanized as a result of the attack.