A three-year-old boy has undergone five operations in the fortnight since he was allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a Cambridgeshire zoo, with his family revealing he faces at least two further surgeries, including nerve reconstruction, as they continue an anxious wait at his hospital bedside.
The boy was injured on 18 June at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a family-run farm and zoo near Huntingdon, after he was allegedly hurled roughly 15 feet into a crocodile enclosure inside the attraction’s Tropical House. He landed on a concrete walkway, suffering a broken arm and a fractured pelvis, before ending up in the water, where he was bitten by one of the reptiles housed there. He was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Cambridgeshire Police were called to the scene at 1.24pm. A 30-year-old man, reported to have learning difficulties and believed to have been visiting the zoo on a trip with carers, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Detective Inspector Verity McCann said officers did not believe the man and the child were known to one another. He was later assessed as not fit to be interviewed and has been bailed until 18 September; police are understood to be examining the actions of the two carers who were supervising him at the time. Huntingdon’s MP, Ben Obese-Jecty, said his thoughts were with the boy and his family “during a hugely traumatic and difficult time,” and urged the public to refrain from speculating online while the criminal investigation continued.
The zoo’s owners, Andy and Tracey Johnson, closed the Tropical House in the immediate aftermath and, speaking publicly for the first time this week, described the incident as among the most distressing in the attraction’s history. “Within minutes of the first radio call, the child had been rescued from the enclosure and was receiving first aid,” they said in a statement, praising the swift response of both their own staff and the emergency services, including the MAGPAS Air Ambulance. Tracey Johnson is reported to have entered the enclosure herself to help pull the boy to safety. The couple said they remained “immensely proud” of their team for responding without hesitation, and thanked the wider public for messages of support.
The boy’s parents, who have barely left his side at Addenbrooke’s since the attack, have described facing a long road to recovery. In an update posted to a GoFundMe page set up on the family’s behalf, which has so far raised more than £25,000, they wrote that they had been “living at the hospital for two weeks” while their son underwent five operations, with at least two more still to come, one of them nerve reconstruction surgery on his arm. The extent of his injuries remains unclear, with doctors so far unable to determine how much feeling, movement and function he will retain in his arms, wrists and hands until casts and bandages can be removed and rehabilitation begins. “This uncertainty remains,” the family wrote, adding that while his rehabilitation journey would not be short, they were “extremely grateful” for the support shown to them throughout what they called an unsettling and uncertain time.
