Boy, 3, Critically Injured in Crocodile Attack at UK Zoo
A three-year-old boy is in a critical but stable condition after being attacked by a crocodile at a zoo in Cambridgeshire, the BBC understands. The incident occurred at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, on Thursday afternoon.
Cambridgeshire Police said a 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder had been bailed and was deemed “unfit for interview”. The man, from Norfolk, reportedly has learning disabilities and was visiting the zoo with carers. He was not part of an organised group visit.
Police were called to the zoo at 13:34 BST. It is believed the boy ended up in the crocodile enclosure and was attacked by at least one reptile. Zoo staff pulled him out, and he received medical treatment before being taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
Detective Inspector Verity McCann said: “Our inquiries 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.”
The crocodiles were not seized or killed. Police are working to establish how long the boy was in the enclosure.
A witness told the BBC she saw a man in his late 20s, accompanied by two women wearing lanyards who she believed were carers, walking through the zoo about 10 minutes before the incident. She said she overheard one of the carers ask: “Should we go to the crocodile house next?” and the man replied: “Yeah.”
