The parents of a child who fell into a gorilla enclosure in a U.S. zoo are under investigation, the Police said in a statement that was issued on Wednesday.
The three-year-old boy was grabbed by a male gorilla named Harambe, who held and dragged him around for about 10 minutes before the Cincinnati Zoo authorities shoot and killed the animal.
Harambe’s death sparked anger online, aimed both at the zoo for shooting the rare primate, but also at the parents over how the boy was able to enter the enclosure in the first place.
The zoo said that the boy would have had to climb over a fence and through some bushes before falling into the gorilla’s moat.
“The review is only regarding the actions of the parents and family that led up to the incident and not related to the operation or safety of the Cincinnati Zoo,” the statement said.
The county prosecutor’s office confirmed the police investigation.
The zoo authorities have stood by the decision to shoot Harambe, and repeatedly said that the boy’s life was in danger.
The Zoo Director, Thane Maynard said that using tranquilizers instead of lethal force would have taken several minutes to subdue the 17-year-old gorilla.
He added that darting the animal could have set off a violent reaction against the child.
The Cincinnati police appealed for any witnesses to the incident, or members of the public who had video recordings to come forward.
The police also corrected information on the boy’s age, confirm he was three.
Earlier reports said he was four years old