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A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure, Cambridgeshire police said.

The force said officers were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdonshire at 1.24pm on Thursday over “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”.

The boy was taken to Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge with serious injuries and was described by police as being in a critical but stable condition.

The force said a 30-year-old man from Norfolk had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

“We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other,” DI Verity McCann said in a statement. “At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances.”

The force is investigating whether the child was attacked by the animals. The child was allegedly thrown into the zoo’s enclosure, the Times reported.

A villager, who did not want to be named, told the Press Association that the zoo owner’s wife, Tracey Johnson, jumped into the enclosure to try to save the child.

Ben Obese-Jecty, the MP for Huntingdon, said he had been liaising with senior officers, who were treating it as a critical incident.

“This is now a live criminal investigation and I would ask people to refrain from speculation online,” he said.

“The police will provide an update with further information in due course. My thoughts are with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time.”

In a statement posted on social media, Johnsons said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today.

“Out of respect to the family, our tropical house will remain closed until further notice. If you have any questions about the incident, please direct inquiries to Cambridgeshire police constabulary.

“The rest of the site will remain open as normal.”

Pete Lewis, who was at the zoo site at the time, told the Telegraph: “I did see the boy being carried out.

“It appeared that staff or members of the public had gone into the enclosure to rescue the boy and almost certainly prevented further injury.”

Lewis said someone came into a tea room calling for help as a boy had “fallen into the crocodile water”.

He added: “Next thing we knew, staff were coming from all directions and a truck or a buggy was rushing around, and then a guy carried the poor lad out and put him on a trailer to administer first aid.”

A local person told the Sun: “Apparently the boy has a broken pelvis and a broken arm, but thankfully the crocodile didn’t actually get to him.”

According to its website, the zoo is home to “over 100 fascinating animals” including African lions, Bengal tigers and crocodiles. The zoo’s two largest crocodiles are called Romeo and Cuddles, the zoo says on its Facebook page.

A spokesperson for the East of England ambulance service said an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle and a Magpas air ambulance attended the scene, adding: “A child was transported by road to hospital for further care.”

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire county council said: “Our thoughts are with the victim and their family, but, as this is a live police investigation, we cannot comment any further.”

Charlotte Lowe, a Huntingdonshire district councillor, said she “can’t fathom” how the boy ended up in the crocodile enclosure.

Speaking outside the attraction, Lowe, the councillor for Warboys ward, said: “I can’t fathom how it’s happened because they’ve got all the right protection and safety equipment, for want of a better word, in there.”