British police on Friday released a man who had been arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of a three-year-old boy, who somehow ended up in a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a family-run farm and zoo in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
"The man, who is not known to the victim, was assessed as not being fit for interview," police said in a statement.
The police have not released any further details about the suspect.
Cambridgeshire Police said the child, who is in a critical but stable condition in hospital, suffered serious injuries while in the enclosure, with British media reporting that one of the zoo’s owners, Tracey Johnson, had jumped in to save him.
The man arrested at the scene has now been released on bail until September 18, pending further inquiries.
“Knowing Tracey, it comes as no surprise that she acted this way - that's exactly what she would do. She's a very courageous and brave lady. She has been incredibly heroic. It's nothing more than I would expect from her,” Chris Newman, director of the National Center for Reptile Welfare, told the Daily Mail.
“She's a very strong lady. I know it would have been incredibly difficult. It's about a 15-foot drop, so to get in there that quickly and save the child is an incredible act of bravery.”
Enclosure to remain closed until further notice
Johnsons of Old Hurst, 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.
The enclosure in question houses at least 15 crocodiles and alligators, with the largest of them being two Nile crocodiles, between nine and 11 feet long and weighing up to 485lbs.
It is unknown to the public whether the child sustained his injuries entirely from the fall or if he was also bitten.
“If a child landed next to a crocodile, I absolutely would expect that animal to react and snap,” Newman told the Daily Mail. “The crocodiles are incredibly well fed, so I wouldn't expect them to eat a child, but it would bite a child if it landed on it or by it… But my suspicion is that the injuries were caused by the child falling 15 feet onto concrete and sort of rolling into the water.”
“You couldn't fall or be pushed into it - you would have to be thrown,” he added.