A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was found critically injured in a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Cambridgeshire.
Police were called to Johnson's of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, at 1:24 pm on Thursday. The boy was rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital with serious injuries. He's now in a critical but stable condition.
Cambridgeshire Police say they don't believe the man and the child knew each other. Officers are investigating whether the boy was attacked by the crocodiles.
The zoo's Tropical House, where the crocodiles are kept, has been closed until further notice. A spokesperson for Johnsons of Old Hurst said their thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family. The rest of the site remains open.
"Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice," the spokesperson said.
The crocodiles are housed in a converted cattle barn with metal-fenced elevated walkways. Visitors look down from platforms about 4.5 metres above large pools surrounded by tropical plants. The fencing along the walkways is about 1.2 metres high, according to a regular visitor.
Mike Annicelli, 52, who lives nearby, said he'd visited the zoo before. He described a raised platform in the enclosure with the crocodiles about 15 feet below. He estimated the fencing was around four feet high.
Detective Inspector Verity McCann of Cambridgeshire Police said officers are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of the incident to understand more about the circumstances.
"We don't 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," she said.
The East of England Ambulance Service sent an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle, and the Magpas Air Ambulance to the scene. A critical care team treated the boy at the scene before he was taken to hospital by road.
A neighbour who didn't want to be named said he heard a lot of sirens and then saw the air ambulance arrive. He called the incident shocking.
Charlotte Lowe, a local councillor representing Old Hurst on Huntingdonshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, said she was shocked when she heard the news. She said the enclosure had safety measures in place, including Perspex glass and secure walkways. The zoo is a popular attraction for visitors from across the country.
"To have something like this happen here is just incredible. You don't expect this to happen in a rural village," she said.
Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty wrote on social media that his thoughts were with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time. He urged people to refrain from speculating online and said he was liaising with senior officers at Gold Command, who are treating this as a critical incident.
Darryl Preston, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough police and crime commissioner, said he'd been briefed by Chief Constable Simon Megicks.
"My thoughts go out to the family of the little boy involved in this truly horrific incident. I can only begin to imagine the trauma those involved are going through," he said.
Johnson's of Old Hurst started as a family-run farming business. It now includes a butchers, farm shop, tea room, steakhouse, and zoo. The zoo says it houses over 100 animals, including crocodiles, African lions, and a Bengal tiger.
Police have been at the scene in Old Hurst since the incident. The investigation continues.