A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Huntingdonshire. The boy is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that officers were dispatched to Johnson's of Old Hurst at 1.24pm on Thursday following reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure. The boy has been taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with serious injuries and is critical but stable. Specially-trained officers are at the hospital supporting the boy's family. A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
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.'
In a statement posted on social media, Johnson's announced that the Tropical House would remain shut until further notice. The statement read: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today. Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice. If you have any questions about the incident, please direct enquiries to Cambridgeshire Police Constabulary. The rest of the site will remain open as normal. Thank you.'
Ben Obese-Jecty, the MP for Huntingdon, said: 'I am aware of the incident at Johnson's of Old Hurst and have been liaising with senior officers at Gold Command who are treating this as a critical incident. This is now a live criminal investigation and I would ask people to refrain from speculation online. The police will provide an update with further information in due course. My thoughts are with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time.'
Alastair Torrance, deputy chairman of Old Hurst Parish Council, said: 'I do feel enormously for the family of the child. It must have been absolutely terrible for the child and the family.'
Johnson's of Old Hurst is a family-operated agricultural business which, according to its website, now incorporates a butchers, farm shop, tea room, steakhouse and zoo. The zoo is home to more than 100 animals, including lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras, meerkats and crocodiles. A blog post published on the zoo's website reveals the crocodiles were originally housed on site to assist with disposing of surplus meat from the butchery, before eventually becoming the foundation of a zoo.
The zoo now provides a range of experiences, including opportunities for children to assist keepers in caring for smaller animals, alongside activities such as a 30-minute crocodile feeding session for £80 or half an hour feeding lions for £100. The crocodiles are housed in a converted cattle barn, featuring metal-fenced elevated walkways that overlook large pools of water encircled by tropical vegetation.
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: 'Our thoughts are with the victim and their family but as this is a live police investigation, we cannot comment any further.'
