The young man fatally mauled by a tiger at a UK wildlife park at the weekend was a former child actor, it has emerged, as US President Donald Trump comes under fire for sharing footage of the tragic incident on social media.

William Chapman was attacked and seriously injured after he entered the tiger’s enclosure at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, on Saturday afternoon (local time). Ambulance officers attended but the 23-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Chapman was a former student at the Jackie Palmer Stage School in the English town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, according to the BBC.

He appeared as a character named Alfie in the two-part 2009 TV drama May Contain Nuts, about pushy parents who would “do almost anything” to get their children into the best school.

The show also featured Shirley Henderson, who played “Moaning Myrtle” in the Harry Potter films, and BAFTA winner Darren Boyd (Spy, Killing Eve).

In 2012, Chapman appeared in an episode of the BBC’s True Stories, a series about inspiring people who changed the world. He played a young version of vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner.

The Jackie Palmer Stage School said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of the death of its former student.

“We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer, during his time with us,” it said in a statement on social media.

“It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.”

One witness reported seeing Chapman wearing headphones and “pacing around” near the tiger reserve before the tragic incident. Another said the young man had asked them to take a photo of him with the tiger in the background shortly before he climbed into its enclosure.

Chapman used a mobile phone to record himself approaching Altai, a 200-kilogram Amur tiger, according to UK media reports. A brief clip shared on Instagram showed the tiger resting on a wooden platform, while a voice in the background could be heard crying out “Oh my god!”. The clip has since been removed.

Chapman’s family, who has revealed he had suffered “significant mental illness over a number of years”, has asked people to stop sharing footage of the attack.

However, their plea didn’t stop Donald Trump, who has sparked a backlash after posting a clip of the attack on his Truth Social account with the caption: “Don’t ever mess with nature!”.

The victim’s family had earlier said that circulation of “deeply offensive media content” was causing them “severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time”.

“William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back,” they said in a statement.

“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.”

Yorkshire Wildlife Park was evacuated after the tragedy and has remained closed in the days since.

Its “Land of the Tigers” attraction is on a purpose-built 8000sqm reserve for endangered Amur tigers, with a high walkway for visitors and fencing above the section where the tigers can roam.

The park expressed its “heartfelt sympathies” for Chapman’s loved ones and said its staff were receiving specialist support after the incident.

“Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger,” it said on social media.

“We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident.”

The City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into Chapman’s death.