Boy critically injured after falling into crocodile enclosure at Cambridgeshire zoo

A three-year-old boy was left with serious injuries after ending up in a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said officers were called at 1.24pm on Thursday, 18 June 2026, and the child was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he remained in a critical but stable condition.

Police arrested a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder. Investigators said they do not believe the man and the child were known to each other, and detectives from the Major Crime Unit have taken charge of the inquiry. Specially trained officers were with the boy’s family at the hospital as they waited for updates on his condition.

Johnsons of Old Hurst is a family-run farm and zoo near Huntingdon, and the crocodile enclosure was closed until further notice after the incident. The zoo said its thoughts and prayers were with the boy and his family, while the scene prompted a swift response from staff and emergency services. Reports said the zoo owner’s wife also jumped into the enclosure in an attempt to help rescue the child.

The incident has put the spotlight on the safety barriers and supervision protocols that shape how families move through animal attractions, especially those that mix petting-farm settings with more dangerous species. A child of that age entering a crocodile enclosure raises immediate questions about enclosure design, crowd control and how quickly staff can isolate a hazard once a breach occurs.

It also underscores the pressure on zoos and family attractions to plan for emergencies involving very young children, where seconds matter and rescue can become dangerous for everyone involved. With the boy still fighting for his life and a major police investigation under way, Johnsons of Old Hurst now faces scrutiny over how the enclosure was accessed and how the response unfolded in the moments that followed.