A three-year-old boy was allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a Cambridgeshire zoo, prompting the owner’s wife to leap in and rescue him as police arrested a stranger on suspicion of attempted murder.
Emergency services were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, at 1.24pm on Thursday after reports that a child had ended up in the crocodile pen. A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was detained at the scene and later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Cambridgeshire Police said they do not believe the man and the child were known to each other.
“Wife of zoo owner Tracey Johnson jumped into crocodile enclosure to rescue boy, three, after he was allegedly thrown in; man arrested”
The boy was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries and is in a critical but stable condition, the force said. Officers are investigating whether the child was attacked by the animals.
A local resident who did not wish to be named told the Press Association that the zoo owner’s wife, Tracey Johnson, jumped into the enclosure to try to save the youngster. Pete Lewis, who was at the site, told the Telegraph: “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.”
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.”
The East of England Ambulance Service sent an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle and Magpas Air Ambulance to the scene. A Magpas spokesperson said a critical care team treated one patient before taking them to hospital by road.
In a statement, Johnsons of Old Hurst said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family. Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice.” The rest of the site remained open.
Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty wrote on social media that he was “liaising with senior officers at Gold Command who are treating this as a critical incident”, and urged people to “refrain from speculation online”. He said his thoughts were with the young victim and his family “during a hugely traumatic and difficult time”.
The zoo, which houses over 100 animals including lions, tigers and sloth bears, keeps its crocodiles inside a tropical building converted from a cattle shed. The Johnson family has been working with crocodiles for two decades.
As the boy remains in hospital, police continue to speak to witnesses and investigate the circumstances that led to a three-year-old being pulled from a crocodile enclosure – a rescue that came at the cost of a stranger’s arrest.