Man arrested after boy, 3, hurled into zoo’s crocodile pit
The crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in the UK. Photo: Facebook
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure with as many as 10 of the reptiles of various species.
The child was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after he was apparently thrown into the exhibit at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a zoo in central England.
The “distressing incident” happened on Thursday afternoon local time at the family-run zoo and animal farm.
The child was in a critical but stable condition. Police did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries or how they were sustained.
A 30-year-old man who was not believed to be known to the child was arrested.
“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,” Detective Inspector Verity McCann said.
“We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other.”
As many as 10 crocodiles were reportedly in the enclosure. Photo: Facebook
Johnsons of Old Hurst posted on Facebook that it had closed the crocodile exhibit out of respect.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today,” it said.
“Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice.
“The rest of the site will remain open as normal.”
On its website, the zoo says it began as a dairy farm and then “blossomed into a diverse establishment including a butcher’s, farm shop, delightful tea room, steakhouse, and even a captivating zoo.”
The family’s interest in protecting the land through sustainable farming led to a “fascination with crocodiles”.
“We have cared for and been involved with these incredible animals for the past two decades including Andy [Johnson] participating in the composing of a European published dossier on the farming, welfare and husbandry of crocodilians.
“Crocodile ranching (farming) has been successful in the recovery of the conservation status of many crocodilian species.
“It also provides a sustainable alternative to the overfishing of our oceans which is currently unsustainable.”
-with AAP
Want to see more stories from The New Daily in your Google search results?
- Click here to set The New Daily as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "The New Daily". That's it.
