A three-year-old boy was thrown 15 feet into a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdon on Thursday – and witnesses say the suspect’s carers were ‘on their phones’ and ‘not paying him much attention’ just before the attack.
The boy, who suffered a broken arm and pelvis when he hit the concrete, was rescued by zoo co-owner Tracey Johnson, 55, who jumped into the pit. He remained in critical but stable condition in Addenbrooke’s Hospital as of Friday.
“Police probe carers who were on their phones as a 3-year-old boy was thrown into a crocodile pit at a UK zoo.”
A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but later released on bail after police deemed him ‘not fit for interview’. He was not known to the child. The suspect has hearing difficulties and was accompanied by two carers at the time.
A mother in her 20s who was at the zoo told The Sun: ‘I don’t know if it was definitely him but I saw one bloke of a bigger build, he had two carers with him and they weren’t paying him much attention. If it was him, his carers were maybe ten metres behind him and not paying much attention. They were English and chatting among themselves and on their phones.’
Cambridgeshire Constabulary is now investigating the role of the carers, according to The Telegraph. Neither carer has been arrested.
The boy was attacked by at least one crocodile after being thrown into the enclosure. Pete Lewis, a visitor at the time, said: ‘I did see the boy being carried out. It appeared that staff or members of the public had gone into the enclosure to rescue the boy and almost certainly prevented further injury.’ He recalled someone rushing into the tea room calling for help because a boy had ‘fallen into the crocodile water’.
Tracey Johnson, who runs the zoo with her husband Andrew and sons Ed and George, was hailed as a hero. A neighbour said: ‘I’ve heard Tracey jumped in. She’s definitely a hero.’
The zoo’s Tropical House exhibit – a converted cattle shed housing Nile crocodiles named Cuddles and Romeo, each weighing 127kg – will remain closed this week. Warning signs on the zoo’s Instagram page state: ‘These animals are real and dangerous’ and ‘Children must not be carried on the shoulders.’
Det Insp Verity McCann of Cambridgeshire Constabulary 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.’
Police are now scrutinising whether the carers’ alleged inattention contributed to the attack – a question that remains unanswered as the boy fights for his recovery.