Wowcher has apologised “unreservedly” for what it described as “unacceptable” wording in a marketing email that appeared to reference a crocodile attack on a three‐year‐old boy at a zoo in Cambridgeshire.
Email subject line sparks outrage
On Saturday, customers of the Wowcher e‐commerce platform received an email promoting “special deals” on holidays and activities, which carried the subject line: “Snap up these deals quicker than a croc can catch a kid.”
Public outrage quickly mounted as screenshots of the email were widely circulated across social media platforms and bulletin boards. Norwich Norfolk UK Community Notice Board posted: "Why do wowcher think its ok to use this as a heading on their emails? ?". One customer described themselves as "now unsubscribed", while another branded it "disgusting", adding "if that's real someone needs to be fired". A further customer wrote: "Emailed them back but no answer. Won't be using them again for sure, even if its a poor effort at a joke somehow."
Wowcher's apology and internal review
A Wowcher spokesperson said: "We are extremely sorry for an email subject line sent by Wowcher yesterday. The wording was unacceptable. It should never have been written. It was never approved for use. The responsibility sits with us and we are urgently reviewing how our processes failed. We recognise the hurt and distress it has caused, particularly for the young child's family at this unimaginably difficult time. We are reviewing all scheduled marketing content while we urgently strengthen our creative, approval and sign-off safeguards. There is no excuse for this. We apologise unreservedly and will take the necessary steps to make sure this does not happen again."
Boy's condition and incident details
The boy remains in a critical but stable condition at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge after the incident on Thursday at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Huntingdonshire. He is understood to have been attacked by at least one crocodile after allegedly being thrown into the enclosure.
Police were called to the zoo at 1.24pm on Thursday by the ambulance service, following reports that the boy, who was not known to the man, had sustained serious injuries. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed the boy "sustained serious injuries while in the enclosure" and "was pulled out by staff from the zoo". Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo owner, reportedly leapt into the enclosure in a bid to rescue the child.
A 30-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the boy ended up in the enclosure, reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on a trip with a carer. Cambridgeshire Police stated that the arrested man, from Norfolk, was "assessed as not being fit for interview". He has since been released on bail until 18th September.
Police investigation and support
Detective Inspector Verity McCann previously stated: "Our inquiries are ongoing as we continue to understand the circumstances surrounding this distressing incident. Our thoughts remain with the boy and his family and specialist officers continue to support them through this difficult time."
