A three-year-old boy was mauled by at least one crocodile at a Cambridgeshire zoo after ending up in the enclosure – and the zoo owner's wife, Tracey Johnson, is said to have jumped down the 15ft pit to rescue him.
Cambridgeshire Police said a 30-year-old man from Norfolk arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has been bailed until 18 September and is "unfit for interview". He reportedly has learning disabilities and had been on a trip to Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, with carers.
“Zoo owner's wife jumped into crocodile enclosure to save boy, 3, after he was attacked by at least one crocodile.”
The boy suffered serious injuries, including a broken arm and pelvis, and remains in a critical but stable condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
Police were called to the zoo at 1.24pm on Thursday after reports of an incident in which the boy ended up in the crocodile enclosure. Staff pulled him out, and a witness told PA Media that Mrs Johnson entered the enclosure to save the child. A friend praised her "extraordinary bravery".
A local mother who was at the zoo with her child told Metro she heard a "bloodcurdling scream" and the entire zoo went quiet. Visitors were asked to leave, and a white sheet was erected between the cafe and farm shop as crews worked on the boy. The woman said: "The little boy was only three and my daughter is two, it could have been her."
Another witness told the BBC she had seen a man, accompanied by two women wearing lanyards who she believed may have been carers, walking through the zoo about 10 minutes before the incident. She overheard one carer ask: "Should we go to the crocodile house next?" and the man replied: "Yeah."
Police said the man was not known to the boy and was not at the zoo as part of an organised group visit. 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 zoo's Tropical House, which contains the crocodile enclosure, remains closed out of respect to the family. The rest of the site opened as normal. A planned special weekend event to mark the 20th anniversary of the farm shop, due to start on Saturday, is now in doubt.