Zoo owner’s wife jumps in to save boy, three, ‘thrown into’ crocodile enclosure

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo. The boy was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries and is in a critical but stable condition. A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested. Police have said they do not believe he was known to the child. One person, who did not want to be named, told the Press Association that the zoo owner’s wife, Tracey Johnson, jumped in to try to save the child. Officers were called to Johnsons Zoo, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire at 1.24pm on Thursday. The zoo’s crocodile pen houses five different species, according to its website, including Nile and saltwater crocodiles. Adult male crocodiles in these species can grow up to 16 feet in length. It is not known which crocodiles were in the enclosure at the time of the incident. Crocodiles are kept in an indoor enclosure at the zoo called the Tropical House (Photo: (SWNS) Detective Inspector 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.” Pete Lewis, who was at the zoo at the time, told The i Paper staff probably save the boy’s life because they reacted quickly and professionally during the incident. Mr Lewis said he saw the boy being carried to the main entrance by a male staff member and that the youngster had blood on his face and t-shirt. A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested at the zoo on Thursday He explained paramedics then administered first aid in a trailer by the entrance, while staff held sheets around it to give the boy privacy. Mr Lewis explained that he was in a tea room when a woman who was visiting the park came in and alerted staff the youngster had “fallen into the crocodile enclosure and asked for help”, adding “a few minutes later, I saw a guy coming from the crocodile enclosure with the boy and taken to the entrance.” Mr Lewis, who was visiting the zoo with his young daughter and her school friend, added: “Staff were very professional and discrete. They calmly asked us to finish our meals, and then leave by the zoo’s side entrance, because there had been an incident. They did not cause any panic by giving details about what happened. The staff were incredible.” In a statement, the zoo sent well wishes to the boy and his family, saying: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident occurred today.” It also said the Tropical House will be closed until further notice “out of respect for the family”. The boy is in a critical but stable condition, police said. Pictured, the zoo today after the incident (Photo: SWNS) On its website, the zoo says it is proudly home to more than one hundred “fascinating animals, from majestic African lions and Bengal tigers to incredible crocodiles”. It also says it offers a “range of family-friendly activities” including woodland walks, a sandpit and playground. Crocodiles and other reptiles are kept in an indoor enclosure at the zoo, called the Tropical House, which sits beneath metal-fenced elevated walkways. It features heated large pools of water, sand banking, and lush tropical vegetation that mimic the animal’s natural habitat. 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. Other reptiles in the crocodile enclosure include the West African dwarf crocodile, Siamese crocodile and Morelet’s crocodile, as well as caimans and an American alligator. The zoo is also home to lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras and meerkats. On Wednesday, Johnsons Zoo marked International Crocodile Day with a post on social media, saying the animals were at the “very core” of its “history”, “passion” and “the journey that has shaped Johnsons Zoological Gardens into what it is today”.It also said in the post: “These incredible animals have inspired generations of our family and continue to fascinate visitors from all over the country.” Ben Obese-Jecty, the MP for Huntingdon, said he was “liaising with senior officers” and added: “My thoughts are with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time.”