Cambridgeshire crocodile incident: Locals say zoo where child seriously injured in crocodile pen is ‘lovely place’

A local described the family who owns and runs the zoo as ‘hard-working’

Residents have described their shock that a three-year-old boy was left seriously injured after he was rescued from a zoo’s crocodile enclosure. Emergency services were called to Johnson’s Zoo in Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, at around 1.24pm on Thursday (June 18).

Officers received reports a three-year-old boy had “ended up” in the crocodile enclosure and was left with serious injuries. Officers arrested a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder. He has since been bailed until September 18 as he was assessed as not fit to interview.

Locals who live along the small road near the zoo shared their reactions to the incident. One man, who wished to remain anonymous, described the incident as “absolutely shocking”.

He added: “I go to the [Johnson’s] farm shop. They are a hard-working family and they work really well. They are doing the right thing. I just can’t believe what happened.”

Another woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was stunned by the news. She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. It’s such a freak thing to have happened, especially in a nice family place like Johnson’s.”

The woman, who has visited the zoo before, added that it is a “lovely place” to walk around and that the “animals are well cared for”. The crocodile enclosure at Johnson’s remains closed until further notice.

In a social media post, the owners of the zoo shared their “thoughts and prayers” with the young victim and his family. They added: “Out of respect to the family, our tropical house will remain closed until further notice.”

The rest of the zoo, as well as the farm shop and café, remains open.

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