Man has been arrested after a three-year-old boy was thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Old Hurst
Cambridgeshire Police said it was called to Johnson’s of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, at 13:24 BST.
The boy was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries and is in a critical but stable condition, the force said.
A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and officers added that they do not believe the man and child were known to each other.
The force said it was investigating whether the child was attacked by the animals.
A spokesperson for Johnsons of Old Hurst said its thoughts and prayers were with the boy and his family.
“Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice,” they added.
Det Insp Verity McCann, from Cambridgeshire Police, 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.”
Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty wrote on social media that his “thoughts were with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time” and urged people to “refrain from speculation online”.
He said he was “liaising with senior officers at Gold Command who are treating this as a critical incident”.
