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 central England on Thursday, leaving him with serious injuries, police said.
Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called following reports of an incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a zoo near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, which led to the boy being in the area.
The child was taken to hospital with serious injuries and is in critical but stable condition, police said. A 30-year-old man was arrested.
“At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo during this disturbing incident to understand more about the situation,” said Detective Inspector Verity McCann. “We don’t believe the person arrested and the child is known to each other.”
Johnsons of Old Hurst could not immediately be reached for comment. On its website it said the family-owned farm’s interest in conservation had led to an interest in crocodiles.
“We hope to continue to develop our alligator farm here at Johnsons of Old Hurst to be part of this incredible conservation effort,” the website said.
