Boy attacked by zoo crocodile has had seven operations and is smiling again, say parents

A crocodile with its mouth open in an enclosure near a wooden walkway going through the centre — Image caption,

The crocodiles have not been seized or put down by the authorities (picture from 2025)

ByAimee DexterCambridgeshire

The parents of a three-year-old boy who was attacked in a crocodile enclosure say they are “amazed” at the progress he is making and that he is “smiling again”.

The boy was visiting Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on 18 June when he was attacked by at least one of the animals.

In a post on a fundraising page, his parents said: “Four weeks later and the cheeky little boy that we love so much is talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again.”

Police arrested and bailed a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder after the incident.

The boy’s parents recalled arriving at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and experiencing “the worst 12 hours” of their lives after the attack, “signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation”.

They said he received injuries to his arms, neck, head, face and suffered broken bones.

The boy has since had seven surgeries, with the latest being surgeons completing “a nerve graft on his arm”.

“They harvested a nerve from his leg to replace part of the nerve that was missing in his left arm,” his parents said on the fundraising page, which has so far raised over £67,000.

“Over time, this nerve will hopefully embed and help our son to regain some function in his left hand.

“We won’t know whether the nerve graft has been successful until tests can be carried out in a few months’ time.

“We were unsure if our son was going to make it and that was the worst feeling in the world.

“We are amazed at how far he has come.”

An aerial drone shot of the whole site showing several medium and large buildings or farm sheds, with three police cars parked in the courtyard. There are also formal gardens on the left side and lots of greenery. — Image caption,

The red building with a white roof is the Tropical House, which contains several species of crocodile

The boy, from Cambridgeshire, had been visiting the zoo with his family when the incident happened.

The BBC understands the arrested man has learning disabilities, was on a trip with carers, and did not know the child.

He was released on bail until 18 September, and police said he was “assessed as not being fit for interview”.

Investigations have been launched into the care of the man arrested, including by the Care Quality Commission and Norfolk County Council, which did not itself provide any care for the man.

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