A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the incident
A councillor said she hopes the family of a three-year-old boy in critical condition gets “some closure” after an incident involving a zoo’s crocodile enclosure. An investigation has been launched after police were called to the zoo at 1.24pm on Thursday, June 18, to reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy.
A force spokesperson said the boy “ended up” in the crocodile enclosure. It is not yet clear exactly how this is believed to have happened.
The boy has been taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries and is critical but stable. 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. Detectives from the Major Crime Unit are investigating. The force does not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other.
Councillor Charlotte Lowe, who represents the Warboys Ward on Huntingdonshire District Council, spoke to CambridgeshireLive at the scene. She said her “stomach just dropped” as she heard the news.
The councillor said she “just couldn’t believe it”. She said “I just thought, it can’t be here, it can’t be Johnson’s”. Cllr Lowe, who became aware of the incident at around 5pm, said her thoughts automatically questioned “how on earth has this happened?”
The moment she was told, Cllr Lowe said she “just had to show her support” even if “it was to give somebody a hug”. Cllr Lowe added: “I couldn’t not come with something like this. It will affect everybody, the locals, the villages especially, and all the villages around.
“Everybody that comes here is going to think ‘Oh my, how could this happen?’ It is like all other incidents that have happened in Cambridgeshire; you remember it.”
Cllr Lowe described the incident as “unbelievable”. She said she hopes that the investigation will give the family “some sort of result, and some closure” by answering the questions of what has happened and why it has happened?
Explaining her thoughts, the councillor added that “with the health and safety, you can’t possibly think that something like this would happen”.
Just days before the incident, on Tuesday, June 16, Johnsons won an award for ‘Best Family Experience’ across Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Cllr Lowe said she “just can’t imagine” what everyone involved is feeling, adding “not just the family” but the “workers here and the owners”.
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.”
A local resident, who asked not to be named, described the incident as “horrendous”. They said there are dangerous animals at the zoo but “I don’t think anyone could have predicted it”, the resident added. They feel as though this will “not be good” for Johnson’s.
Johnsons has confirmed that the Tropical House part of the site will be closed until further notice. A spokesperson 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. The rest of the site will remain open as normal.”


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