A three-year-old boy is in critical condition after he ended up inside a crocodile enclosure at an English zoo, and police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder.

Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst at 1:24 PM local time on June 18, 2026 after reports of the incident.

The boy was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious injuries. Police said he was in critical but stable condition.

A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The detail that turns this from a tragic accident into a criminal investigation is what police said about the suspect.

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According to Cambridgeshire Police, Detective Inspector Verity McCann said investigators do not believe the arrested man and the child are known to each other.

Detectives from the Major Crime Unit are leading the investigation. McCann said officers are speaking with people who were at the zoo to piece together exactly how the boy ended up in the enclosure.

Specially trained officers were supporting the boy’s family at the hospital.

Sky News reported the boy suffered serious wounds in the incident, which took place at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Huntingdonshire.

The site sits near Cambridge and is home to more than 100 animals.

The Associated Press reported the collection includes crocodiles, lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras, and meerkats.

ITV News Anglia reported that Johnsons said its thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family.

The operator said the crocodile enclosure would remain closed until further notice out of respect.

For now, a small child is fighting for his life, and the people who run the zoo and the police who responded are left with the same hard question of how a toddler came to be inside that enclosure at all.

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This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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