Prosecutor in Cincinnati gorilla case to decide on charges against family

The Cincinnati prosecutor is due to announce on Monday whether criminal charges will be filed against the family of a 3-year-old boy who fell into a gorilla exhibit at the city's zoo, forcing officials to kill an endangered primate to rescue the child.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters will hold a news conference on the incident at 1:00 pm EDT (1700 GMT), his office said in a statement.

Cincinnati police investigated the child's family after the May 28 incident and turned over the results of their probe to Deters' office to decide on charges.

The 17-year-old 450-pound (200-kg) gorilla, named Harambe, was shot and killed by zoo staff after he dragged the young boy around the enclosure.

Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered, and the killing triggered intense public debate over the zoo's handling of the incident, the effectiveness of the barrier to the gorilla enclosure, and the role of the boy's parents.

The family said through a spokeswoman last week that the child was doing well, and that they had no plans to sue the zoo. The child had a concussion and some scrapes, the family said earlier on social media.

The Gorilla world exhibit is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday after being closed for more than a week as the zoo fortified the barrier around the enclosure and added knotted rope netting.