A three-year-old boy who was seriously injured at a zoo was attacked by a crocodile, The Independent understands.
A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the child was allegedly thrown into the crocodile enclosure at Johnson’s of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdonshire on Thursday.
Cambridgeshire Police said the 30-year-old man from Norfolk was assessed as not being fit for interview by officers and was bailed while detectives from the major crimes unit conduct further inquiries.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 1.24pm and officers said the toddler had suffered serious injuries “while in the enclosure”. He was pulled out by staff from the zoo and received medical treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital.
Sources close to the investigation suggested the boy was attacked by at least one crocodile.
The three-year-old from Cambridgeshire remains in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Locals told The Sun and the Press Association that Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo’s owner, jumped into the enclosure to save the child, but the family has not yet commented on what happened.
Chris Newman, the director of the national reptile centre who has housed crocodiles at the zoo and knows Ms Johnson “very well”, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that her actions should be recognised as “incredibly heroic”.
“Frankly it's nothing short [of what] I would expect of her, that's exactly what she would do. She's a very brave, very strong lady,” he said. “I don't know which enclosure it was, but I mean it's about a 15 ft drop, so for her to get into their that quickly and save the child is, you know... just a remarkable act of bravery.”
The arrested man is on bail until 18 September.
Detective Inspector Verity McCann said: “Our enquiries are ongoing as we continue to understand the circumstances surrounding this distressing incident.
“Our thoughts remain with the boy, and his family and specialist officers continue to support them through this difficult time.”
Following the incident, Johnson’s put out a statement on their social media to say that the tropical house – home to the crocodiles – would remain closed until further notice “out of respect to the family”.
They added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today.”
Johnson’s of Old Hurst houses more than 100 animals, but specialises in the conservation of crocodiles. Andy Johnson, owner of the zoo, participated in composing a European-published dossier on the farming, welfare and husbandry of crocodilians, according to the website.
Mr Newman said that the zoo was “incredibly well run” and “the zoo licensing act is very stringent”.
