Man bailed after boy, 3, attacked by crocodile at zoo

BBC

A man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was attacked by a crocodile at a zoo has been bailed.

Cambridgeshire Police said the 30-year-old was not fit for police interview and bailed him until September.

The boy was attacked by at least one crocodile after ending up in the enclosure, the BBC understands.

He remains in a critical but stable condition after being injured at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday.

Police said the boy sustained serious injuries “while in the enclosure” and was pulled out by zoo staff.

He received medical treatment at the scene before being taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

Det Insp Verity McCann 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.”

The man who was arrested was from Norfolk, police said.

A spokesperson for Johnsons said on Thursday its thoughts and prayers were with the boy and his family.

They added the site’s Tropical House, which contains the crocodile enclosure, had been closed “out of respect to the family”.

Zoo staff were seen arriving at the site earlier and it is due to open at 10:00.

They are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated walkways looking down on large pools of water surrounded by tropical vegetation.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first farm shop, a new museum at the site was due to open with a special weekend event starting on Saturday. It is unclear if the opening will go ahead.

On Thursday, police said they were speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of the incident.

“We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other,” a police spokesperson said.

Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty urged people to “refrain from speculation online” and said police were treating it as a “critical incident”.

Sam Read/BBC

A Magpas Air Ambulance spokesperson said a critical care team attended the incident at 13:42 and “treated one patient at the scene before taking them to hospital”.

According to its website, Johnsons of Old Hurst is a farming business that now features a butchers, a farm shop, tea room, steakhouse and zoo.

It says it “houses over 100 fascinating animals” including crocodiles, African lions and a Bengal tiger.