A three-year-old boy allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a Cambridgeshire zoo has undergone his seventh operation – a nerve graft on his left arm – as a fundraiser to support his family passed £105,000.
The child, who has not been named, was seriously injured at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, on 18 June. His family said in an update on the GoFundMe page that surgeons harvested a nerve from his leg to replace part of the nerve missing in his left arm. “Over time, this nerve will hopefully embed and help our son to regain some function in his left hand,” they wrote. They added that they “won’t know whether the nerve graft has been successful until tests can be carried out in a few months’ time.”
“Boy, 3, has seventh surgery after crocodile attack; GoFundMe passes £105,000.”
The attack prompted a dramatic rescue by staff, including zoo owners Andy and Tracey Johnson and their son Edward, who leapt into the 15ft deep enclosure. The zoo said it was “alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of our crocodile enclosures”.
A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident. Police later bailed him, saying he had been “assessed as not being fit for interview”. The suspect reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on a trip with carers when he allegedly threw the boy over a 4ft barrier. An investigation into his care is ongoing.
The boy suffered blood vessel damage, broken bones and severe tissue damage to his arms, neck, head and face. Despite this, his family said earlier this month they were “amazed at how far he has come” and that their “cheeky little boy” is “talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again”. They said they are “not at the end of our journey” but “hopeful” the most recent operation “will be the last for now which means if everything goes well we will be able to go home soon”.
The GoFundMe page, set up on 30 June to support the boy’s “recovery and rehabilitation in the upcoming months and years ahead”, has now raised more than £105,000. Among the donations is an anonymous £2,500 contribution. The boy’s grandmother, who wrote the page explanation, said his parents are staying at his side at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Both have taken time off work to support him. “We don’t know what recovery and rehabilitation looks like at this moment in time but we know our son needs us more than ever,” the family said. “We are forever grateful that you have all helped us to stay by our son’s side every step of the way.”
