Carers who were ‘on phone’ when boy was thrown into crocodile pit investigated

The carers of a man accused of throwing a three-year-old boy into a crocodile zoo enclosure are under investigation by the council.

Norfolk County Council has opened a safeguarding inquiry after the youngster was injured at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Huntingdon in June.

A man, 30, was arrested on June 18 on suspicion of attempted murder and has been bailed as police declared him ‘unfit for interview’.

The man, who is mentally disabled, was visiting the family-run zoo outside Cambridge with two carers when he allegedly broke away from them.

His carers, insiders claim, were on their phones at the time. They tried to bundle him into a car after the incident but zoo staff stopped them.

Council officials are investigating whether the suspect is being neglected or abused while in care, according to The Telegraph.

The inquiry under Section 42 of the Care Act 2014 will also determine whether the man can protect himself.

Referrals to the service have been paused as the council works with ‘partners in the health and care system to identify and review all those individuals receiving care from this provider and to ensure the care they are receiving is of the quality and consistency they expect and deserve’, the council told the newspaper.

Some 15 crocodiles were inside the enclosure when the boy fell 15 feet into the enclosure pit at about 1.30pm on June 18.

At least one of the reptiles attacked him, leaving him with a broken arm and pelvis.

Zoo owner Tracey Johnson, 55, as well as her zookeeper husband Andrew, 56, and their 29-year-old son Edward, all jumped in to save the boy.

In a statement shared by the zoo on social media, the Johnsons said it was ‘one of the most distressing incidents in our history’.

‘Everyone who was on site that day acted with incredible speed and determination,’ they said. ‘Within minutes of the first radio call, the child had been rescued from the enclosure and was receiving first aid.’

The boy is no longer in critical condition but will likely remain in hospital for weeks.

A GoFundMe has since been launched to raise money to pay for the boy’s medical expenses and rehabilitation.

An update on the fundraiser from his parents says the boy has undergone five surgeries and will likely need a further two operations.

‘This uncertainty remains as we still don’t know the extent of his feeling, movement and function in both of his arms, wrists and hands,’ they said.

‘This will only be identified after casts and bandages are able to be removed and he can begin his rehabilitation journey.’

The zoo’s Tropical House exhibit – a repurposed cattle shed which houses ancient reptiles, including alligators – reopened last week.

Photographs posted by the zoo on Instagram show signs warning that children must be supervised inside the site.

‘These animals are real and dangerous,’ it says.

For £80, over-16s or 14- and 15-year-olds with an accompanying adult can do a 30-minute ‘meet and feed our snappy crocodile’ session.

Huntingdonshire district council visited the zoo on June 19 and concluded that it was an ‘isolated incident’ but will require periodic inspections.

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