Police will investigate the circumstances around the killing of a gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo after a four-year-old boy fell into his enclosure.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters said once the police inquiry had finished “they will confer with our office on possible criminal charges”.
The zoo says it had no choice but to kill the gorilla, and has defended its safety measures around the enclosure.
Animal activists have accused the zoo of negligence.
Stop Animal Exploitation Now, a Cincinnati-based animal rights group, said it had filed a federal complaint against the zoo with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The parents of the boy, who suffered minor injuries in the incident, have also faced heavy criticism via social media.
Cincinnati Police said in a statement that their review of the incident “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.”
The child fell into the enclosure of 17-year-old Harambe, an endangered western lowland gorilla, on Saturday.
A Facebook group called Justice for Harambe has been set up and an online petition signed by more than 300,000 people was also created, calling for the mother to be held accountable for Harambe’s death.