Prosecutors are looking into the deaths of nine animals at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.
The state's attorney ordered his first assistant to begin an inquiry at the request of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
PETA, which opposes keeping elephants in zoos, has been leading demonstrations to oust zoo President Kevin Bell following the deaths of three elephants, two gorillas, a camel and three rare langur monkeys since October. The arm of a small ape was amputated last month after it was mangled reaching for food.
"We have every confidence that Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine will conduct a fair inquiry and come to the same conclusion we have, which is that there is no basis whatsoever to conduct an investigation," a zoo spokeswoman told the Chicago Tribune.
The American Zoo and Aquarium and the U.S. Agriculture Department are reviewing the animal deaths and zoo practices.
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