Boy attacked by zoo crocodile has seven operations

A three-year-old boy attacked in a crocodile enclosure has had a seventh operation in a month, to replace part of a nerve in his arm.

The parents of the child, who was hurt by at least one of the animals at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, have shared details of his injuries.

They said he was recovering well after surgery for "tendon damage, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, broken bones and severe tissue damage in both his arms, neck, head and face".

Police arrested and bailed a 30-year-old man from Norfolk on suspicion of attempted murder after the incident on 18 June.

His parents recalled arriving at Addenbrooke's Hospital and experiencing "the worst 12 hours" of their lives, "signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation".

They said his seventh surgery included 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.

"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," they said in an update on a fundraising page, which has raised over £67,500.

"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.

"We are amazed at how far he has come."

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

The arrested man was believed to have learning disabilities and had been on a trip with carers. He was not believed to have known 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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