Mum heard 'loud scream' as she details what happened when toddler allegedly thrown into croc enclosure at UK zoo
A horrified mother has recounted the moment she heard a 'blood-curdling' scream after a boy was allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a UK zoo.
Yesterday (18 June), a 30-year-old man was charged with attempted murder after an incident in which a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons Zoo, Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
The youngster was taken to hospital after being rescued by the zoo owner's wife, with his condition described as critical but stable.
Meanwhile, the suspect has been bailed until 18 September after local police concluded he was 'not fit for interview' due to learning difficulties.
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As an investigation gets underway, a woman who was at Johnsons Zoo yesterday has spoken out about what she witnessed, recalling how she heard a 'loud scream' while on the phone to her dad.
"We were sitting on a bench in the park between the bear and the crocodile enclosure," the mum, who was at the zoo with her young daughter, explained.
“We sat there and heard a loud scream. Never in a million years did I think someone was in with the crocodiles.
“The whole zoo went really quiet and it felt really eerie."
Moments later, the mother, who is in her 20s, recalled seeing visitors being asked to leave an open area next to the enclosure as 'there had been an incident'.
Emergency services also rushed to the scene, with the mum counting four police cars, two vans and an air ambulance.
She was initially unsure what had happened, believing it to be a 'road accident' before a white sheet was raised between the farm shop and cafe – in order to give the boy's family privacy.
"I think that was out of respect for the family," she added. "It felt very eerie and weirdly quiet."
The mother went on to reveal her fear in the moments after, especially when it came to the safety of her two-year-old daughter.
"What went through my head was, if I hadn't stopped to make that call, it could have been her," she added.
"The little boy was only three and my daughter is two; it could have been her."
An investigation is now ongoing, with the zoo's Tropical House enclosure remaining closed until 'further notice'.
"Our enquiries are ongoing as we continue to understand the circumstances surrounding this distressing incident," read a statement from Cambridge police Det Insp Verity McCann.
"Our thoughts remain with the boy, and his family and specialist officers continue to support them through this difficult time."
Brenna Cooper