Police in the UK have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was found inside a crocodile enclosure at a zoo, leaving the child with life-threatening injuries.
Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called to Johnson’s of Old Hurst, in Huntingdonshire, at 1.24pm following “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”.
“The boy has been taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital (in Cambridge) with serious injuries and is critical but stable,” a force spokesperson said.
They added: “Specially-trained officers are at the hospital supporting the boy’s family.
The child was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he remains in a critical but stable condition
Detective Inspector Verity McCann said: “At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances.
“We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other.
“Officers are supporting the boy’s family at hospital and our thoughts remain with them.”
According to its website, Johnson’s of Old Hurst is a family-run farming business that has expanded to include a butchers, a farm shop, tea room, steakhouse and zoo.
The zoo houses more than 100 animals, among them lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras, meerkats and crocodiles.
A blog post on the zoo’s website says the crocodiles were first kept to help dispose of waste meat from the butchery, before becoming the foundation of the zoo itself.
The reptiles are housed in a converted cattle barn, where metal-fenced elevated walkways overlook large pools of water framed by tropical vegetation.
In a statement posted on social media, Johnson’s said that “out of respect to the family” Tropical House will remain closed until further notice.
They added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today.”
The ambulance service said it dispatched an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle and an air ambulance to the scene.
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Our thoughts are with the victim and their family but as this is a live police investigation, we cannot comment any further.”
