Boy attacked by Cambridgeshire zoo crocodile has seventh surgery

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.”