Boy Falls into African Painted Dog Exhibit at Piitsburgh Zoo Dies

[Darkman00]

Pittsburgh Zoo Incident Leaves African Painted Dog, Child Dead

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium has managed to kill another one of its inmates – an African painted dog, who, along with 10 fellow prisoners, killed a visiting toddler...

Source: http://thedailymaul.com/?p=5782 ( http://thedailymaul.com/ )

 

[Darkman00]

Fear and Loathing in Pittsburgh: The Online Mauling of a Parent Just Like You

Angry commenters rushed to persecute a woman whose son fell to his death at the Pittsburgh Zoo. If it’s true that horrific accidents could happen to any parent, why can’t we accept that?

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Read more at http://goodmenproject.com/featured-...the-online-mauling-of-a-parent-just-like-you/

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This one is pretty good one ... I originally found out about it HERE: http://thoughtsonliberty.com/tag/pittsburgh-zoo

 

[Darkman00]

Toddler Killed by Wild Dogs Prompts Closer Look At Zoo Safety

A toddler boy visiting the Pittsburgh zoos somehow managed to fall into the wild dog exhibit and be ripped to shreds while his helpless mother watched from above.

The horrific tragedy happened on Sunday, November 4th, and within minutes the story was everywhere with many questioning exactly how the little boy fell into the exhibit in the first place.

It’s a good question.

Wild “painted” African dogs are about the size of Labrador retrievers, weigh about 37 to 80 pounds and are most dangerous in a pack. In this case, 11 dogs attacked the boy. Although it was unclear whether he died from the fall or from the attack as yet, it was later determined that the 2-year-old died from the attack.

One thing is clear: none of this should have been possible. A woman trying to “give her child a better view” should not have been able to drop him into the exhibit.

But who is at fault?

... Maybe he was wiggling. Maybe the mom was holding him in a bad way. Maybe she should not have been holding him in the way she was. But he should not have been able to “fall” into the exhibit...

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More at the Source: http://alansaslawblog.com/toddler-killed-by-wild-dogs-prompts-closer-look-at-zoo-safety/

P.S. ... check out the comments at the source ...

 

[Darkman00]

Sad, sad story ... Hmmmmm ...

Another witness said “There were three dogs: one at his head, one on the left side of his neck and another one down by his leg. … A [zoo employee] got there and hopped over a fence with a rake and he was banging … trying to distract the dogs but they wouldn’t move.”

Barbara Baker, CEO and president of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium pauses as she answers questions during a news conference. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

During a recent press conference a reporter asked Baker if she took responsibility for not creating a fail-proof exhibit. She responded with “Life is full of risk…There’s no fail-proof part of risk in life. We do everything we possibly can and evaluate it every day. The safety not only of our visitors but our staff as well. We work with wild animals, we work with dangerous animals every day.”

The reporter interrupted and asked Do you take responsibility for not creating a failproof exhibit?

Baker then responded “There is no such thing as a failproof exhibit.”

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More at the Source: (including Video) http://redalertlive.com/2012/11/08/smh-2-year-old-dies-mauled-pack-dogs-zoo-video/

 

[Darkman00]

Observation platform at Pittsburgh Zoo's African painted dogs exhibit to be removed

December 6, 2012 11:13 pm

After the Allegheny County district attorney toured the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium exhibit where a 2-year-old boy was killed by African painted dogs, his office announced Thursday that the observation platform from which the child fell will be removed.

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"To that end, Dr. Baker advised the District Attorney that out of respect for the community and for the Derkosh family, the observation platform of the exhibit at issue would be removed," the district attorney's office said in a statement.

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... the boy lunged forward unexpectedly ...

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"Originally and now, there was Plexiglas on the sides because it was eye to eye, nose to nose, for lack of a better term, with the animals in the exhibit."

Ms. Baker said she was unaware since the exhibit opened of any adults lifting children up to stand atop the guardrail or any concerns from zoo staff about such behavior.

There is no sign in the pavilion warning against putting children on the railing.

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Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories...an-painted-dogs-exhibit-to-be-removed-665217/

 

[Linda7NJ]

Observation platform at Pittsburgh Zoo's African painted dogs exhibit to be removed

December 6, 2012 11:13 pm

After the Allegheny County district attorney toured the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium exhibit where a 2-year-old boy was killed by African painted dogs, his office announced Thursday that the observation platform from which the child fell will be removed.

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"To that end, Dr. Baker advised the District Attorney that out of respect for the community and for the Derkosh family, the observation platform of the exhibit at issue would be removed," the district attorney's office said in a statement.

----

... the boy lunged forward unexpectedly ...

----

"Originally and now, there was Plexiglas on the sides because it was eye to eye, nose to nose, for lack of a better term, with the animals in the exhibit."

Ms. Baker said she was unaware since the exhibit opened of any adults lifting children up to stand atop the guardrail or any concerns from zoo staff about such behavior.

There is no sign in the pavilion warning against putting children on the railing.

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Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories...an-painted-dogs-exhibit-to-be-removed-665217/

No sign warning against putting children on the railing? Seriously?

Do we also need a sign stating not to dangle children, not to toss them over, not to use the railing as a balance beam?

Seems to me some things are just common sense.

All IMO

 

[TexasCharm]

Darkman .. you're a pot-stirrer ... :floorlaugh:

:seeya:

 

[Darkman00]

No sign warning against putting children on the railing? Seriously?

Do we also need a sign stating not to dangle children, not to toss them over, not to use the railing as a balance beam?

Seems to me some things are just common sense.

All IMO

Some people are not all there (say mentally, for example) .. but they are also entitled to visit Zoos (or at least, no one can prevent them from doing so).

Sometimes extra measures are a good thing.....

The more the better if you ask me...

You would not put your child on the railing .. i wouldn't either ... 1000s of other people would not either .. but it took ONE person who did

and now the child is dead

 

[Darkman00]

Darkman .. you're a pot-stirrer ... :floorlaugh:

:seeya:

Well not really ... i didn't write those articles arter all

and as to the amount of articles ... lol .. i had all those articles at JQ .. and got banned from there yesterday (not for those articles .. for disagreeing with the Mods, basically).

So i decided to take those articles with me, lol .. after all - they are "mine".. i posted them there orignally

 

[Cubby]

No sign warning against putting children on the railing? Seriously?

Do we also need a sign stating not to dangle children, not to toss them over, not to use the railing as a balance beam?

Seems to me some things are just common sense.

All IMO

I agree. I cringe when I see parents holding their children up in dangerous situations.

A warning sign not to hang children over railings or use them as balance beams reminds me of the woman who sued McDonalds over the hot coffee.

Some things ARE just common sense and we need to realize we the adults/parents are to protect our children from situations they are unaware of dangers.

I really think people get complacent with safety thinking it won't happen to me.

Still a very sad situation and my heart breaks for this boys parents.

 

[Portabella]

Although I feel this parent was in the wrong, I cannot help but feel sorry for her. I in no way hold the dogs to blame in this. We all know the fault lies with humans... I actually feel sorry they had to kill one of the dogs. I do understand it was probably necessary at the time with all of the adrenaline and confusion.

The video of the child at the lion exhibit shows the mentality of many and personally I feel so bad for the lion. When my son was a baby I took him to Denver Zoo. A lion in the enclosure really seemed upset with my sons presence in his stroller. I took my son up the ramp thingy and back to where he could still view but not be remotely close to the glass. I feel people need some common sense and also need to learn to respect all beings and life forms...IMHO

 

[Linda7NJ]

Although I feel this parent was in the wrong, I cannot help but feel sorry for her. I in no way hold the dogs to blame in this. We all know the fault lies with humans... I actually feel sorry they had to kill one of the dogs. I do understand it was probably necessary at the time with all of the adrenaline and confusion.

The video of the child at the lion exhibit shows the mentality of many and personally I feel so bad for the lion. When my son was a baby I took him to Denver Zoo. A lion in the enclosure really seemed upset with my sons presence in his stroller. I took my son up the ramp thingy and back to where he could still view but not be remotely close to the glass. I feel people need some common sense and also need to learn to respect all beings and life forms...IMHO

I really don't care much for zoos.

When my son was younger, I'd take him to Six Flags Great Adventure Safari. We loved it! You used to be able to drive your own car. The animals are running all over, coming up to the car, baboons climbing all over the car.

Can't do it anymore from the comfort of your own car. Too many idiots would roll their windows down and try to feed them. Once while we were there, two women were in front of our car. The morons rolled their windows down and one of those baboons got in her car and was ripping out the passengers hair by the fist full! I don't know if it bit her or not. I drove around her and the guys in jeeps went to their aide.

I had ZERO sympathy for her. I hope she learned something. YES there was signs all over and were instructed to turn your radio to a certain station and you would again get the warnings as well as lots of info on the animals.

Was a great teaching moment .....for my son who was about 7 at the time!

 

[Nova]

Thanks, Darkman, for all the links.

I'm not sure I agree about the calendar. Whether it was financially feasible to be "sensitive" and discard have the calendars, I don't know. Most Zoos seems to operate on a very strict budget.

***

Last week was "Big Cat Week" on National Geo Wild and of course I had to watch.

According to one program, dogs in a pack actually kill more quickly than the big cats, even thought the disemboweling may look more horrific to us.

Let's hope...

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

Larger zoo safety net could have saved a life
November 25, 2012, The Maui News

The Pittsburgh Zoo should have made a larger safety net, even though it was just made for cameras and not humans, because it's better to be safe than sorry.

The zoo should have made an extra barrier at the exhibit where the railing was because if someone slipped and fell, then they wouldn't fall into the exhibit and get attacked by the painted dogs.

If the animals at the zoo can severely hurt or even kill someone, extra precautions should be taken. If I were one of the witnesses, I would have tried to help the boy by getting into the exhibit and getting the wild dogs off him.

Shayna Tamanaha

Kula
Source: http://www.mauinews.com/page/conten...r-zoo-safety-net-could-have-saved-a-life.html

Shayna is delusional! I would bet everything I own that there's no way she would have leaped into the wild dog pit- especially for a stranger. And if anyone did, they would have been ripped apart by the remaining wild dogs. With this statement, not only is she claiming that she's pretty much a super hero, but that everyone who really was there is a coward.

She also says that the zoo should have had a "larger safety net" and "an extra barrier" in case someone slipped and fell. Are you kidding me?! Slipped and fell from where, exactly? If your feet were planted on the floor of the enclosed platform, where they should be, a fall wouldn't land you on the dirt outside.

How about this barrier: a continent away in Africa, where they belong? That would keep the animals safe and the idiots who flirt with danger, safe as well.

 

[Sonya610]

How about this barrier: a continent away in Africa, where they belong? That would keep the animals safe and the idiots who flirt with danger, safe as well.

All great points except the idea shipping the dogs back to Africa as a way of keeping them safe.

The human population is skyrocketing in sub-Saharan Africa and the wildlife is being decimated in the search for food. Feed the children.

 

[passionflower]

WPXI news just showed and said thousands of trucks donated in Maddox's name.
The TREE OF HOPE ORG. is 1 org that will wrap and give to their children that
might only get a truck for their Christmas present.

 

[Nova]

Shayna is delusional! I would bet everything I own that there's no way she would have leaped into the wild dog pit....

I agree with you that none of us can really say what we would have done in the few moments Maddox lived after falling into the enclosure.

And I agree with Sonya that returning the dogs to Africa isn't a solution. Truly wild habitats are carefully defined in Africa and dropping any new species into a wildlife preserve is apt to only get the intruders killed by the native species (other dogs, hyenas, big cats, buffalo, etc.).

And I think I've made it clear that I am very pro-Pittsburgh Zoo and have many happy memories from there.

But I still wonder about the meeting where it was decided to put up a net to catch falling iPhones and iPads. Didn't anybody think, "And what about parents who foolishly prop their toddlers on the railing so the kids can see?" I still say a netting or wire mesh with 6 or 8" squares could have prevented tragedy without impeding sight of the animals.

 

[Darkman00]

And I don't even care about the net ... -- the fall was around 14 feet (a bit more than 3 meters, i guess) they said ... --- more chances than otherwise that this kind of fall is "survivable".

Chitty safety measures at that Zoo... At the VERY LEAST they could have designed it there that if someone falls down "there" (accidentally or cuz of someone's stupidity, .. purposely as, for example, in the case of recent NY subway "throw down" ... ETC) that someone would NOT fall down RIGHT IN THE wild dogs' teeth, so to speak.

Was very easy to prevent that from happening (if the area was properly designed, with PROPER safety measures etc) --... "fall area" easily could have been secured from 'em dogs...

And guess what ... Those who inspected the area (after the fall) thought so too .. that there was NOT enough safety measures in place there...
The pavilion will be taken down now .. and if / when re-opens .. mark my words, there will be a BETTER protection there in the future....

Live and learn, i guess

 

[Sonya610]

The pavilion will be taken down now .. and if / when re-opens .. mark my words, there will be a BETTER protection there in the future....

Live and learn, i guess

Yeah a big sheet of thick safety glass would prevent more mothers from dropping their toddlers off 20' balconies and/or into pits full of wild cannids.

It ain't rocket science. Guess common sense no longer applies and safety glass is the only answer in our brave new world.

 

[Nova]

Yeah a big sheet of thick safety glass would prevent more mothers from dropping their toddlers off 20' balconies and/or into pits full of wild cannids.

It ain't rocket science. Guess common sense no longer applies and safety glass is the only answer in our brave new world.

Lots of children died in the "Good old days." In fact, child mortality rates were quite high. If we can change that, why not try? It doesn't have to be with plexiglass.