A discount website has apologised after sending a marketing email that appeared to mock a crocodile attack on a three-year-old boy at a Cambridgeshire zoo. The email, sent to Wowcher customers on Saturday, carried the subject line: "Snap up these deals quicker than a croc can catch a kid!" It came just two days after the toddler was pulled from a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon, where he suffered serious injuries after ending up in the enclosure during a family trip on Thursday.
The boy remains in a critical but stable condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital after being rescued by zoo staff. Police were called to the zoo at 13:24 BST by the ambulance service. A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and subsequently bailed because he was "unfit for interview". Police said the boy was not known to the man, who had been in the enclosure at the time.
“Wowcher apologised after an email used the subject line "Snap up these deals quicker than a croc can catch a kid" following a crocodile attack on a toddler.”
Screenshots of the email were widely shared on social media, sparking fury. One customer said they had "now unsubscribed" from Wowcher's emails, while another called the message "disgusting", adding: "If that's real someone needs to be fired." The screenshot was posted to a Facebook group under the caption: "Why do wowcher think its ok to use this as a heading on their emails??"
Wowcher later issued a statement saying it was "extremely sorry" for the "unacceptable" wording. "It should never have been written, it was never approved for use," the firm said. "The responsibility sits with us and we are urgently reviewing how our processes failed. We recognise the hurt and distress it has caused, particularly for the young child's family at this unimaginably difficult time."
The company added that it was "reviewing all scheduled marketing content while we urgently strengthen our creative, approval and sign-off safeguards". A spokesperson said: "There is no excuse for this. We apologise unreservedly and will take the necessary steps to make sure this does not happen again."