Boy, 3, was attacked by crocodile, BBC understands
BBC News 2026-06-19 12:15:34
Context: A three-year-old boy was critically injured in a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a zoo near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday. The boy was attacked by at least one crocodile after entering the enclosure, and zoo staff pulled him out before he received medical treatment. The incident is being investigated by Cambridgeshire Police, who have arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder.
Key Facts
- A three-year-old boy from Cambridgeshire was critically injured in a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, on Thursday, and remains in a critical but stable condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
- The boy was attacked by at least one crocodile after entering the enclosure, and zoo staff pulled him out before he received medical treatment at the scene.
- Cambridgeshire Police arrested a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident, but have bailed him as he is "unfit for interview" due to his physical or mental state.
- The crocodile enclosure, part of the Tropical House at Johnsons of Old Hurst, features metal-fenced elevated walkways and large pools of water surrounded by tropical vegetation, and houses species including broad-snouted caimans, Nile crocodiles, and American alligators.
- Johnsons of Old Hurst, a family-run farm that also features a butchers, farm shop, tea room, steakhouse, and zoo, has been home to crocodilians since 2006, and a spokesperson has stated that their thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family.