Boy seriously injured after falling into crocodile enclosure at Cambridgeshire zoo

A three-year-old boy was left with serious injuries after ending up in the crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon, and Cambridgeshire Police arrested a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder.

Officers were called at 1.24pm on Thursday, June 18, 2026, to the family-run zoo and farm in Cambridgeshire. The child was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where police initially said he was in a critical but stable condition. Later reporting said he remained in a stable condition and was no longer critical. Police said specially trained officers were supporting the boy’s family while detectives from the Major Crime Unit took over the inquiry.

The boy’s family later thanked zoo staff for rescuing him and said he faced a long road to recovery. The Johnsons, who own the site, said staff responded within minutes of the first radio call, rescued the child shortly afterwards and gave first aid. Reports said the boy was attacked by at least one crocodile, and later coverage said he suffered a shattered arm and pelvis, with CCTV footage handed to detectives.

The zoo’s Tropical House was closed after the incident and later reopened to the public. The episode has raised immediate questions about how a child was able to reach a dangerous enclosure and what barriers, supervision and emergency procedures were in place at the attraction before the attack.

The fallout extended beyond the zoo itself. Cambridge University Hospitals referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office after the boy’s medical records were accessed by dozens of hospital staff, adding a separate investigation over how confidential information was handled after the emergency. With one investigation focused on the criminal case and another on the hospital breach, the incident has become a test of both physical security at a wildlife attraction and the systems meant to protect a child after he was injured.