Injured boy, 3, in stable condition after being placed in UK zoo's crocodile enclosure

LONDON - British police said on Friday (June 19, 2026) they had released a man who had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 3-year-old boy ended up in a zoo's crocodile enclosure, saying he had not been fit for an interview.

The boy is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after staff at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in central England, pulled him from the enclosure following the incident on Thursday.

Cambridgeshire Police said the child had suffered serious injuries while in the enclosure, with British media reporting that the wife of the zoo's owner had jumped in to save him. A man who was arrested at the scene has now been released on bail until September 18 pending further inquiries.

"The man, who is not known to the victim, was assessed as not being fit for interview," police said in a statement.

Johnsons of Old Hurst, a family-owned farm whose zoo features more than 100 animals with a particular focus on crocodiles, has said its Tropical House would remain closed until further notice.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family," it said in a statement on Facebook.

-Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Muvija M/Reuters