Police in Britain have released a man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure. They said the man had not been fit for interview.
The boy is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after staff at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdonshire, central England, pulled him from the enclosure following the incident on Thursday.
Cambridgeshire Police said the child suffered serious injuries while in the enclosure, with UK media outlets reporting that the wife of the zoo’s owner had jumped in to save him. A man who was arrested at the scene has now been released on bail until September 18th pending further inquiries.
“The man, who is not known to the victim, was assessed as not being fit for interview,” police said in a statement.
Johnsons of Old Hurst, a family-owned farm whose zoo features more than 100 animals, with a particular focus on crocodiles, said its Tropical House would remain closed until further notice.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family,” it said in a statement on Facebook.
Cambridgeshire police said officers had been called to Johnson’s of Old Hurst at 1.24pm on Thursday after “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”.
Det Insp Verity McCann said officers were “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.”
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. - Reuters
Read the full article at The Irish Times →📄Source document: Cambridgeshire Police Statement
3 reports
The Irish TimesIndependent🔒Center2 days agoA three-year-old boy was rescued from a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdonshire, England. Police arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder but later released him due to him being deemed unfit for interview. The boy is in critical but stable condition in the hospital. The zoo's owner's wife reportedly jumped into the enclosure to save the child. The zoo has closed its Tropical House temporarily.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a specific incident involving a child rescue and subsequent arrest without taking a stance or using biased language. It provides factual details without apparent ideological framing.
Official sources cited
- government Cambridgeshire Police Statement
- organisation Johnsons of Old Hurst Facebook Statement
The Irish TimesIndependent🔒Center2 days ago Police release man arrested after three-year-old rescued from zoo crocodile enclosureA three-year-old boy was rescued from a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdonshire, England. Police arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder but later released him due to him being deemed unfit for interview. The boy is in critical but stable condition in the hospital. The zoo's owner's wife reportedly jumped into the enclosure to save the child. The zoo has closed its Tropical House temporarily.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a specific incident involving a child rescue and subsequent arrest without taking a stance or using biased language. It provides factual details without apparent ideological framing.
Official sources cited
- government Cambridgeshire Police Statement
- organisation Johnsons of Old Hurst Facebook Statement
TheJournal.ieIndependentCenter2 days agoA 30-year-old man, Carl Holland, died in hospital days after being assaulted in west Belfast. He was punched by a man who arrived at the scene by taxi and then left in the same vehicle. Police confirmed the incident occurred on 12 June and have launched an investigation, appealing for witnesses or footage. Several individuals have been arrested and released on bail.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a criminal incident without taking a stance on political issues. It provides factual details about the event, police involvement, and legal actions taken, without using biased language or emphasizing any particular political perspective.
Official sources cited
- government PSNI Detective Inspector Collins
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