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.
Cambridgeshire police said officers were called to Johnson’s of Old Hurst, in Huntingdonshire, at 1.24pm on Thursday to “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”.
“The boy has been taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital (in Cambridge) with serious injuries and is critical but stable,” a force spokesperson said. “Specially trained officers are at the hospital supporting the boy’s family.
“A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.”
Det Insp Verity McCann said: “At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances.
“We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other.
“Officers are supporting the boy’s family at hospital and our thoughts remain with them.”
In a statement on social media, Johnson’s said the zoo’s Tropical House will remain closed until further notice.
The statement said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today.
“Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice. If you have any questions about the incident, please direct enquiries to Cambridgeshire Police Constabulary.”
Ben Obese-Jecty, MP for Huntingdon, said: “I am aware of the incident at Johnson’s of Old Hurst and have been liaising with senior officers at Gold Command who are treating this as a critical incident.
“This is now a live criminal investigation and I would ask people to refrain from speculation online. The police will provide an update with further information in due course.
“My thoughts are with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time.”
Alastair Torrance, deputy chairman of Old Hurst Parish Council, said: “I do feel enormously for the family of the child. It must’ve been absolutely terrible for the child and the family.”
According to its website, Johnson’s of Old Hurst is a family-run farming business that now features a butcher’s, a farm shop, tea room, steakhouse and zoo.
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The zoo is home to more than 100 animals, including lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras, meerkats and crocodiles.
A blog post on the zoo’s website says the crocodiles were initially kept to help dispose of waste meat from the butchery, but they went on to be the start of a zoo.
Now the zoo offers experiences, including some aimed at allowing children to help zookeepers look after smaller animals, and others such as spending 30 minutes feeding crocodiles for £80 or lions for £100.
The crocodiles are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated walkways looking down on large pools of water surrounded by tropical vegetation.
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Our thoughts are with the victim and their family but as this is a live police investigation, we cannot comment any further.” – PA
Read the full article at The Irish Times →📄Source document: Cambridgeshire Police Statement
4 reports
The Irish TimesIndependent🔒Center2 days agoA 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy fell into a crocodile enclosure at Johnson’s of Old Hurst Zoo in Huntingdonshire. The boy was hospitalized with serious injuries and is currently in stable condition. Cambridgeshire Police are investigating the incident and stated that the suspect and the child are not known to each other. The zoo's Tropical House remains closed as a result.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a criminal incident involving a child and a dangerous animal without taking a stance or using biased language. It provides factual details about the event, the response by authorities, and the current status of the victim. There is no indication of ideological framing or slant
Official sources cited
- government Cambridgeshire Police Statement
- organisation Johnson’s of Old Hurst Zoo Social Media Statement
TheJournal.ieIndependentCenter3 days agoA 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was injured in a crocodile enclosure at Johnson's Zoo in Huntingdonshire. The boy is in critical condition in the hospital. The man and boy are not believed to know each other. The zoo has closed its tropical house out of respect for the family. Police are investigating the incident and speaking to witnesses.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on an incident involving a criminal arrest and injury at a zoo without taking a stance on the event, presenting facts from police statements and the zoo's communication. There is no evident framing that suggests ideological bias.
Official sources cited
- government Cambridgeshire Police Statement
- organisation Johnson's Zoo Social Media Statement
Irish IndependentIndependentCenter3 days agoA man has been arrested for attempted murder following an incident where a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure at a UK zoo.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a criminal incident involving a child and a dangerous animal, with no indication of political framing, opinion, or biased language. The focus is on the event itself and the legal consequences.
RTÉ NewsState / PublicCenter3 days agoA man was arrested in the UK on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure at Johnson's of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdonshire. The boy was hospitalized with serious injuries and is currently critical but stable. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old man from Norfolk and stated that the suspect and the child are not believed to know each other. Authorities are investigating the incident and speaking to witnesses.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without apparent ideological framing. It reports on a criminal incident with standard police statements and does not exhibit biased language, one-sided sourcing, or omission of context. The focus is on the event itself rather than any political or social议题.
Official sources cited
- government Cambridgeshire Police Statement
Ireland