Calgary Zoo won't lose accreditation over gorilla knife incident

The group that accredits zoos across Canada said Tuesday thatit's satisfied with a report into how a gorilla at the Calgary Zoo grabbed hold of a knife in its enclosure.

The zoo's report explained how a keeper left the knife in the gorilla's enclosure and what steps have been taken since then to prevent similar incidents, said Bill Peters, national director of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Pictures snapped byvisitors show the gorilla, Barika, clutching the knife in its black, hairy hand and briefly holding it up near another animal.

Zoo officials said at the time that the primates don't understand the idea of using weapons and were never in any real danger.

Peters said the zoo has taken steps to ensure, as much as humanly possible, that items aren't left inside animal enclosures. He said the matter was dealt with satisfactorily and won't affect the zoo's accreditation.