New details released after boy, 3, was 'thrown into' crocodile enclosure at UK zoo
Details about the injuries a three-year-old boy reportedly suffered after falling into a crocodile enclosure at a UK zoo have been released.
Last Thursday (18 June), a toddler visiting Johnson's Zoo in Old Hurst, Cambridgeshire, was allegedly thrown 15ft from a viewing platform and into a crocodile enclosure.
The suspect, a 30-year-old man with learning difficulties, has since been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and later released on bail, after it was determined that he was 'not fit for interview'.
An investigation into the horrifying incident is ongoing.
Advert
The boy was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries, with The Sun reporting that he suffered a 'broken pelvis and a broken arm'.
"Apparently, the boy has a broken pelvis and a broken arm, but thankfully the crocodile didn’t actually get to him," the eyewitness told the outlet.
It's believed the toddler landed on a concrete walkway before rolling into the water, with a reptile expert previously suggesting this was why he wasn't mauled by the predators.
"If a child landed next to a crocodile, I absolutely would expect that animal to react and snap," Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, told MailOnline.
"I wouldn't expect them to eat a child, but it would bite a child if it landed on it or by it," he continued.
"That's where the trouble would come - they have such a powerful bite. Even an investigatory bite would be catastrophic."
Newman later told The Times that the crocs were unlikely to have seen the boy as food, as they are used to eating a diet of livestock offcuts.
"Never in a million years did I think someone was in with the crocodiles."
People in attendance at the zoo last Thursday have since spoken out about what they witnessed, with one mum recalling a 'loud scream' as the boy went into the enclosure.
Explaining that she was sitting on a nearby bench with her two-year-old daughter while she phoned her father, the mum said: "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."
It has also been revealed that the tot was rescued by Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo owner, after she bravely jumped into the enclosure.
She was then followed in by her husband and son, who assisted in getting the boy to safety.
"We mustn’t underestimate how much of a difference Tracey made. She was first in there. She jumped in and dealt with an awful situation," Newman added to The Times.
"She was then joined by her husband and son. It was a team effort. They are a resilient family but they are distraught. Their thoughts and concerns are for the child."
Topics: UK News
Brenna Cooper