More than £100,000 has been raised for the family of a three-year-old boy who was seriously injured in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure. The child was allegedly thrown into the pit at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Cambridgeshire last month, and a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but later released. It was determined that he was not fit for interview.
The suspect in the case reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on a trip with carers. An investigation has been launched into his care following the terrifying incident, which left the young boy hospitalised with a suspected broken arm and pelvis.
It states: “It will also support their son’s further recovery and rehabilitation in the upcoming months and years ahead
“Should any funds remain after meeting the family’s needs, they will be donated to the charities and organisations within the Addenbrooke’s Trust to support other families facing similar challenges.”
The fundraiser has now raised a whopping £105,000 at the time of writing, with the largest donation of £2,500 from an anonymous donor.
Earlier this month, the boy’s family said in an update on the page that he had had seven operations in hospital in the hopes of regaining function in his left hand after it suffered nerve damage
On the day of the incident, he underwent a 12-hour operation for tendon damage, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, broken bones and severe tissue damage in both his arms, neck, head and face.
His family said they are “amazed at how far he has come” and that he is “smiling again”.
They said they are “not at the end of our journey”, but “hopeful” the most recent operation “will be the last for now which means if everything goes well we will be able to go home soon”.
They wrote: “Those were the worst 12 hours of our lives as before that we were signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation. We were unsure if our son was going to make it and that was the worst feeling in the world.
“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.”