A three-year-old boy faced a terrifying scene after being allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in central England. The incident occurred around 1:24 PM BST on Thursday.
Rescue and Injuries
The zoo owner’s wife, Tracey Johnson, jumped into the enclosure to rescue the child, according to The Sun. The boy was rushed to hospital with serious injuries and remains in a critical but stable condition.
Enclosure Details
Photos from inside the zoo show visitors standing on raised boardwalks overlooking a sprawling crocodile habitat filled with water, dense greenery, and rocky islands. Multiple barriers and fences separate the public viewing areas from the habitat below. The enclosure houses several crocodilian species, including American alligators, broad-snouted caimans, Cuvier’s dwarf caimans, Morelet’s crocodiles, Nile crocodiles, saltwater crocodiles, Siamese crocodiles, spectacled caimans, and West African dwarf crocodiles. The Nile crocodiles, which can grow up to 5 meters in length, are among the zoo's biggest attractions.
Police Investigation
Police arrested a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder. The man, who was not known to the child, reportedly has learning difficulties and was visiting the zoo with a carer who was not with him at the time of the incident. Authorities are investigating whether the boy was attacked by any of the animals.
Witness Accounts
A local resident told The Sun they saw distraught staff members embracing one another after the event. “It’s simply awful,” they said.
Zoo Response
In a social media statement, Johnsons of Old Hurst announced its Tropical House would remain closed until further notice “out of respect to the family.” The statement added, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today. If you have any questions about the incident, please direct inquiries to Cambridgeshire Police Constabulary. The rest of the site will remain open as normal.”
