Man arrested after boy, 3, ends up in UK zoo's crocodile enclosure

A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 3-year-old boy was critically injured while in a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in central England.

A man has ​been arrested on suspicion of ​attempted murder after a ‌3-year-old boy ​ended up in a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in central England on ‌Thursday resulting in him sustaining critical injuries, police said. Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called following reports of an incident at Johnsons of ‌Old Hurst, a zoo near Huntingdon which resulted in the boy ‌being in the enclosure.

The child has been taken to hospital with serious injuries and is in a critical but stable condition, police said. A 30-year-old ⁠man ​had been ⁠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," said Detective Inspector Verity McCann. "We do not believe the ⁠man arrested and the child are known to each other."

Johnsons of Old ⁠Hurst ​could not immediately be reached for comment. On its website it said the family-owned farm's interest in conservation had led ⁠to a fascination with crocodiles. "We are hoping to continue to develop ⁠our crocodile ⁠farm here at Johnsons of Old Hurst to be a part of this remarkable conservational effort," the ‌website ‌said.