Zoo keeper praised as ‘incredibly strong’ after rescuing boy from crocodile enclosure

Tracey Johnson reportedly rescued a young boy from a crocodile enclosure after an incident which saw a 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

A zoo owner has been hailed a hero on Friday (June 19) after jumping into a crocodile enclosure to save the life of a little boy. Tracey Johnson, 55, dashed into the crocodile pen at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon, after being alerted that a boy was in the enclosure by fellow staff members.

Tracey – who owns the zoo with husband Andy Johnson, 56 – was able to retrieve the three year old boy. The incident happened in the zoo’s Tropical House, featuring a crocodile enclosure surrounded by a high walkway, at 1.30pm on Thursday (June 18).

It is thought the youngster suffered a broken pelvis and arm, according to local reports. He is not believed to have been injured by the animals. The boy remains in a ‘stable condition’ at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

A 30-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. It is believed he did not know the boy. Police said on Friday morning that he was not fit to be interviewed and had been released on bail until September 18.

This morning a friend of Mrs Johnson’s, who has kept crocodiles at the zoo, praised her bravery and described her as an “incredibly strong woman”. Chris Newman, 67, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, has spent time inside the enclosure.

He said: “If a child landed next to a crocodile, I absolutely would expect that animal to react and snap. It’s no different from the way a dog would react when it’s startled.

“The crocodiles are incredibly well fed, so I wouldn’t expect them to eat a child, but it would bite a child if it landed on it or by it. That’s where the trouble would come – they have such a powerful bite. Even an investigatory bite would be catastrophic.

“But my suspicion is that the injuries were caused by the child falling 15ft on to concrete and sort of rolled into the water.”

Chris spoke about owner Tracey Johnson, who reportedly jumped into the enclosure to help rescue the boy. He said: “Knowing Tracey, it comes as no surprise that she acted this way – that’s exactly what she would do.

“She’s a very courageous and brave lady. She’s just a remarkable lady, quite unassuming and very family-oriented.”

Mr Newman said the attraction is a family-run operation involving “a mum and dad, two sons and a daughter-in-law”. He said the enclosure was so secure that a child could only have ended up inside if they had been deliberately thrown.

He said: “You can get a really good view looking down at the crocodiles, but you couldn’t fall or be pushed into it – you would have to be thrown. It’s a large tropical house with a raised walkway which is about 15ft down.

“The crocodiles would be on the ground floor and there’s a walkway all the way around the perimeter, with vertical and horizontal safety barriers.” He also described the venue as “a fantastic zoo” where “public safety is a huge part” of the operation.

He continued: “She’s a lovely lady. She has been incredibly heroic. It’s nothing more than I would expect from her.

“She’s a very strong lady. I know it would have been incredibly difficult. It’s about a fifteen foot drop, so to get in there that quickly and save the child is an incredible act of bravery.

Mr Newman said there had been real danger to the child as crocodiles are ‘reactive creatures’. He added: “If something was thrown into their enclosure and landed close to them, you would expect them to do an exploratory bite.”

This morning a resident close to the zoo said: “Tracey and the other staff were incredibly brave. They all stayed very calm and she went down into the enclosure and was able to rescue the little boy quickly before the crocodiles could harm him.

“Both she and Andy are very experienced and responsible zoo keepers and will both be mortified by what has happened.”

This morning the zoo was set to reopen, but the Tropical House was to remain closed as police continued their investigation into the incident.

Yesterday local councillor Charlotte Lowe visited the scene and said it was ‘really shocking and she could ‘not believe it had happened.

She said: “It is really shocking – I would say it is safe there. It must have been intentional. The crocodiles are normally lounging around.

“This is a popular place with families. My thoughts and prayers go to the little boy and his family.”

A spokesperson for Johnson’s 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 inquiries to Cambridgeshire Police Constabulary. The rest of the site will remain open as normal.”