Boy, 3, who was thrown into crocodile pit returns home after seven operations

View of the crocodile enclosure at the Johnson's of Old Hurst.

The family of a three-year-old boy who was seriously injured after being ‘thrown into’ a crocodile enclosure at a zoo have issued a positive update.

The child has now been discharged from hospital and is settling back in at home after a lengthy hospital stay and more than seven operations, his family said.

He reportedly returned home a few weeks ago and is said to be happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother, his parents said in an update posted online.

Johnsons of Old Hurst, a zoo near Huntingdon in , said in a previous social media post it was alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of the crocodile enclosures on June 18.

A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident and was later bailed as police said he was ‘assessed as not being fit for interview’.

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The suspect in the case reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on a trip with carers, and an investigation has been launched into his care.

Boy, three, thrown into crocodile enclosure at UK zoo The incident happened at the Johnsons of Old Hurst. picture: Johnsons of Old Hurst

The boy’s family launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the family financially and help the boy’s recovery and rehabilitation, which has now raised more than £113,000.

In an update shared on a GoFundMe page on Monday, August 24, his family announced the little boy was back at home.

‘Now that we are home, our son’s rehabilitation journey continues, and we can focus on ensuring our son has the best possible chance at recovery,’ his parents said.

‘Both of us will continue to stay by our son’s side as we support him on his rehabilitation journey. We attend the hospital frequently to find out the next steps, and we work on them together as a family.

‘All of his immediate surgeries are over for now, which means we can now focus on rehabilitation at home.’

They said that the money donated so far ‘has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage’, and ‘also allowed us to cover our loss of wages during this time’.

Police at Johnson?s of Old Hurst the crocodile farm in Cambridgeshire. // A three-year-old boy is in a critical condition after being mauled by a crocodile at a zoo - as a man is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Cambridgeshire Police said they were called to Johnson?s of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon in Cambs., just before 1.30pm on today (June 18). Officers confirmed the boy is in a "critical but stable" condition in hospital and they are supporting this family. They said they do not believe the man and the child are known to each other. Photo released 18/06/2026 Photo released 19/06/2026

They said they have bought and donated new toys to the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and to the children’s play team on the ward, who the boy was very fond of while receiving treatment.

They said they had also donated to the Sick Children’s Trust charity, which helps support families whose children are long-term patients or in the paediatric intensive care unit.

His parents added that they also want to donate to the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) to thank staff who were involved in their son’s care.

In a previous update, the family said the boy had undergone seven operations.

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Original source Boy, 3, who was thrown into crocodile pit returns home after seven operations

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