Family in gorilla episode to be investigated: Police
Police in Cincinnati, Ohio say they will be investigating a family whose boy entered a gorilla enclosure in a zoo last weekend, causing the zoo officials to fatally shoot the animal.
The 3-year-old boy, who remained unidentified, was visiting the zoo with his family Saturday when he slipped through a fence and fell some 15 feet to a shallow pool in the 450-pound gorilla's enclosure.
The western lowland gorilla called Harambe dragged the boy through the shallow moat, then stopped and looked at the child, videos showed.
While some witnesses said the endangered gorilla was trying to help the boy and only tossed him into the corner after the crowd started shouting and screaming, others said the boy was dragged for about 10 minutes from one corner of the habitat to another.
On Tuesday, Cincinnati police said that their review "is only regarding the actions of the parents/family that led up to the incident and not related to the operation or safety of the Cincinnati Zoo."
"After the review, we will determine if charges need to be brought forward," police spokeswoman Tiffaney Hardy said. "If it is determined charges need to be brought forward, we would then discuss it with the Hamilton County prosecutor's office."
On Sunday, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden said in a statement that the zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team had no other option but to shoot the 17-year-old gorilla as the boy was in “imminent danger.”
According to authorities, the boy's mother was with him at the time of the incident with some saying that the parents should be held criminally responsible for not looking after their child.
Some others, however, said that the zoo staff was too quick to use excessive force against Harambe, as he did not intend to hurt the boy.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an accrediting agency, has also announced it was investigating the incident.
The US Department of Agriculture, which inspects the zoo annually, said it will determine if the episode took place because the zoo was not complying with the Animal Welfare Act.
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