Johnsons of Old Hurst Zoo: Boy, 3, remains in critical condition after crocodile attack inside enclosure
Police said the boy sustained serious injuries while inside the enclosure at the zoo.
A three-year-old boy who was allegedly thrown into a zoo enclosure was reportedly attacked by a crocodile.
Cambridgeshire Police were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst, also known as Johnsons zoo, about 1pm local time on Thursday with reports that a child had ended up inside an animal enclosure.
The young child remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital after police said he “sustained serious injuries while in the enclosure”.
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The BBC reported that the boy was attacked by at least one crocodile.
Police arrested a 30-year-old British man on suspicion of attempted murder soon after the incident.
The man was released on bail after being deemed unfit for interview by the police.
The BBC reported that the 30-year-old had learning disabilities and was on a trip to the zoo with carers.
The police said they believed he was not known to the child.
“Our enquiries are ongoing as we continue to understand the circumstances surrounding this distressing incident,” Detective Inspector Verity McCann said.
“Our thoughts remain with the boy, and his family and specialist officers continue to support them through this difficult time.”
The three-year-old was removed from the crocodile pen by staff.
After the incident, The Sun reported that Tracey Johnson, wife of the zoo owner, jumped into the crocodile enclosure to help save the child, according to a witness.
“Apparently the boy has a broken pelvis and a broken arm, but thankfully the crocodile didn’t actually get to him,” they said.
“Someone was able to jump in and get him out of the water.
“It could have been so much worse, but he’s obviously got some really serious injuries from the fall.
“None of the injuries were from the crocodiles, thank God.”
The zoo released a statement on social media about the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today,” it read.
“Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice... The rest of the site will remain open as normal.”
It is understood that safety measures like Perspex glass and secure walkways were in place inside the shed that houses the crocodile enclosure.
Police said that no crocodiles had been seized or killed.
On its website, the zoo says it “houses over 100 fascinating animals”, including crocodiles, lions and a Bengal tiger.
It is understood that the crocodile enclosure is housed in a converted cattle barn with elevated walkways.
The website also laid out the family-owned farm’s interest in conservation had led to a fascination with crocodiles.
“We are hoping to continue to develop our crocodile farm here at Johnsons of Old Hurst to be a part of this remarkable conservation effort,” it read.
It became the UK’s first crocodile farm in 2006.
