The story went around the world last week: a 3-year-old toddler was thrown into the crocodile enclosure for no reason by a stranger in a British zoo. The child escaped even more serious injuries thanks to animal caretaker Tracey Johnson, who intervened immediately.
Source: AD.nl
Aerial footage shows the crocodile enclosure at Johnsons Zoo
The bizarre event took place at England’s Johnsons Zoo. The police arrested a 30-year-old man, but quickly concluded that he could not be interrogated due to his mental condition. According to ‘The Telegraph’, the role of the suspect’s supervisors, with whom he was at the zoo, is being investigated.
More is now known about what happened after the boy ended up in the crocodile enclosure. At least one crocodile is said to have attacked him, but the focus is mainly on the heroic actions of Tracey Johnson. The 55-year-old co-owner of the park is said to have jumped 4.5 meters to save the child.
On the radio program ‘Today’ from the BBC, Chris Newman, an acquaintance of hers, speaks of an “exceptionally heroic act”. Newman himself used to keep crocodiles in the enclosure where the tragedy took place.
Instinct
“You have to understand, even though she is a heroine – I didn’t expect anything else from her. She is an extremely brave and tough woman.” He also praises her quick response time. “Crocodiles respond to movement. So if something is thrown into their area, their instinct is to grab it and bite down. That’s their nature.”
Staff are said to have been alerted by screams when the toddler was thrown among the crocodiles. “Before we knew it, zoo employees came running from all sides,” a witness told ‘The Telegraph’. Tracey Johnson, pictured next to her husband Andrew in the tweet below, has not yet responded to the news.
Critical condition
A neighbor of the zoo confirms the rescue story. “I heard Tracey jumped in. She’s definitely a heroine.”
According to the latest information, the victim is in a critical but stable condition. According to unconfirmed reports, the toddler suffered a broken arm and pelvis, among other things. It is still unclear whether the police suspect the suspect’s supervisors of negligence.
