Boy, 3, injured in zoo crocodile attack is in stable condition
A three-year-old boy who was taken to hospital in a critical condition after being left in the crocodile enclosure at Cambridgeshire Zoo is now in a stable condition.
It is understood the boy was attacked by at least one crocodile after the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, last Thursday.
Officers said they were called to the zoo at 1.34pm after receiving reports that the boy, who was visiting the zoo with his family, had been seriously injured in a “confined area”.
He was removed by zoo staff and received medical treatment at the scene before being taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
A spokesman for the force said: “The child is no longer in a critical condition and remains stable in hospital.”
A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but was released on bail after police said he was “assessed unfit for interview”.
The man, from Norfolk, is thought to have not known the child, had learning difficulties and was visiting the area with carers.
Tracey Johnson, the zoo owner’s wife, reportedly jumped into the enclosure to save the child.
The zoo is located off a leafy residential rural road in the village of Old Hurst, and the area also includes a tearoom, farm shop and steakhouse.
It is home to more than 100 animals, including lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras and meerkats.
The alligators are kept in a tropical house building, a converted cattle shed, and there are other animals in outdoor enclosures.
A blog post on the zoo’s website says the alligators were originally kept to help dispose of waste meat from butchering, but they later became the beginnings of a zoo.
Mike Annicelli, 52, who lives near the zoo and has visited the alligators before, said of the enclosure: “Everything is up high, you’re away from the animals.”
He said it was an “elevated platform” and estimated that the alligators were about 15 ft below and there were fences along the walkways that he estimated were about 4 ft high.
Councilor Charlotte Lowe said: “This incident shocked many people, especially local people.”
Detective Inspector Verity McCann previously said: “Our investigations are ongoing as we continue to understand the circumstances surrounding this distressing incident.
“Our thoughts are with the child and his family and specialist officers continue to support them through this difficult time.”
