A three-year-old boy who was seriously hurt after being hurled 15ft into a zoo’s crocodile enclosure now uses his feet to play after being discharged from hospital following seven operations.

The child returned home ‘a few weeks ago’ and is ‘happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother’, his parents said in an update posted online.

The boy was taken to hospital in a critical condition after a 30-year-old man allegedly lifted him over a fence and threw him into the crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on June 18.

The man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident and later bailed as police said he was ‘assessed as not being fit for interview’. The suspect reportedly had learning difficulties and had been on a trip to the zoo with carers.

In an update shared on a GoFundMe page on Monday, the boy’s family said ‘all of his immediate surgeries are over with for now’ and it was ‘nice to have us all back together in the comfort of our own home’.

The fundraising page was set up to support the family financially and help the boy’s recovery and rehabilitation and has so far raised more than £114,000.

The family also revealed the little boy was ‘very fond of the play team’ on the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he was treated. 

The team helped the toddler be a little boy ‘by inventing new games and teaching him new ways to use his feet in play,’ the parents added. 

As a token of their gratitude, the family said they have purchased new toys for the unit and the children’s play team. 

The child was allegedly thrown 15ft into the crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst farm in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on June 18 

They also have plans to donate to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) to thank staff who were involved in their son’s care ‘including the supply of superhero costumes to brighten up his day’.

The parents want to give a contribution to the Sick Children’s Trust charity, which helps support families whose children are long-term patients or in the paediatric intensive care unit.

In a GoFundMe update, his parents said: ‘Now that we are home, our son’s rehabilitation journey continues and we can focus on ensuring our son has the best possible chance at recovery,’ 

‘Both of us will continue to stay by our son’s side as we support him on his rehabilitation journey.

‘We attend the hospital frequently to find out the next steps and we work on them together as a family.

‘All of his immediate surgeries are over with for now, which means we can now focus on rehabilitation at home.’

They said that the money donated so far ‘has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage’, and ‘also allowed us to cover our loss of wages during this time’.

They thanked everyone who has ‘shown such kindness and generosity during what has been a considerable ordeal for us all’.

In a previous update, the family said the boy had undergone seven operations including a nerve graft on his left arm.

The boy suffered extensive damage to tendons, blood vessels and tissue in his arms, neck, head and face and needed emergency 12-hour surgery immediately afterwards.

Andy and Tracey Johnson, the couple owning the zoo, immediately jumped into the enclosure to save the boy following the attack, along with their son Edward.

Mr and Mrs Johnson said in a statement: ‘We were alerted to reports a child had allegedly been thrown into one of our crocodile enclosures in the Tropical House.

‘Everyone who was on site that day acted with incredible speed and determination.

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‘Within minutes of the first radio call, the child had been rescued from the enclosure and was receiving first aid.

‘The emergency services arrived very quickly, supported by the MAGPAS Air Ambulance.

‘We cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, compassion and dedication in such difficult circumstances.

‘We are immensely proud of our own staff, who responded without hesitation and did everything they could to help and support the child until the emergency services took over.’

Originally a dairy farm, Johnsons of Old Hurst also has a butcher’s, a farm shop, a tea room and a steakhouse.

According to its website, the crocodiles were initially kept to help dispose of waste meat from the butchery.

But over time, they became the start of a zoo, which is now home to more than 100 animals, including lions, tigers, sloth bears, capybaras and meerkats.

Norfolk County Council has started an ongoing Section 42 inquiry into the 30-year-old man’s care, seeking to determine if he was at risk of or experiencing abuse or neglect.

The local authority said it had stopped referrals to the care provider involved in the case.

A spokesman for the council said it was working with ‘partners in the health and care system to identify and review all those individuals receiving care from this provider and to ensure the care they are receiving is of the quality and consistency they expect and deserve’.