An Investigation Into The Park Of A Zoo Gorilla s...

he family of a boy who entered a Cincinnati Zoo gorilla s enclosure last weekend -- spurring zoo officials to shoot and kill the animal -- will be the focus of an investigation into the incident, Cincinnati police said Tuesday. The 3-year-old boy was dragged across a moat by the 450-pound gorilla on Saturday. After a 10-minute encounter, Cincinnati Zoo officials shot and killed the beloved and endangered gorilla, named Harambe. The boy was not seriously injured. Cincinnati police said Tuesday 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†¦show more content†¦If not, that would warrant a formal investigation, she said. There is no time frame for looking into an incident or determining whether to open an investigation, Espinosa said. We want to ensure that we are thorough. CNN independently reviewed USDA records for the last three years, which is all that is maintained by the agency, and found nine findings where the zoo was out of compliance although none involved the gorilla exhibit. Two involving veterinary care were directly tied to the health or wellness of the animals, and seven dealt with other issues; all were resolved, according to USDA reports. Animal rights groups demands feds investigate An animal rights group announced Tuesday that it had requested an investigation by the USDA. The letter from Michael A. Budkie , executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, alleges the Harambe tragedy occurred because the zoo, maintained an enclosure that violated the Animal Welfare Act, according to the letter obtained by CNN. It does not explain how the zoo violated the act. The letter from the animal rights group cites what it says are Animal Welfare Act violations and includes copies of USDA inspection reports from March 2016 and November 2014, which CNN also located independently in the USDA