Boy Falls into African Painted Dog Exhibit at Piitsburgh Zoo Dies

[Skagirl]

Signs will not help. People don't listen to signs, that's why more safety features should be put into place. I am not saying this is the Zoo's fault, I am saying places need to take into consideration that people are stupid and do not listen to signs.

Another thing is that they should have shot all those dogs to try and get to him. I don't care that they are endangered animals, a child's life is more important then an animals life.

I hope you are not suggesting that the Mother did this on purpose? Allot of people were standing there watching what was happening, probably some were even recording it on their phones. If only a group of them jumped in to at least try and save him then maybe he would of had a chance. Not many people are willing to do that though, even for their own child.

I haven't read the cause of death in this case anywhere. I thought it was still being determined whether the fall killed the boy or whether it was the dogs. Can you post a source for the cause of death?

 

[leanaí]

I haven't read the cause of death in this case anywhere. I thought it was still being determined whether the fall killed the boy or whether it was the dogs. Can you post a source for the cause of death?

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/child-killed-in-pittsburgh-zoo-exhibit-660606/#ixzz2BITFSw88

Says he was mauled to death.

Doesn't matter if he died by the fall or by the dogs the people standing around watching wouldn't have known either way and should have done something.

 

[Elley Mae]

People need to read and follow the caution signs on exhibits. The signs tell you not to climb on the rail or stand on it, and for good reason. Plus the net is put inside the exhibit for the benefit of those who don't follow the signs. But in this case, it appears that the net did not hold the child when he fell. If only the mother didn't hold him up on the rail for a better view, both he and the dog would be alive now. I know a lot of people hold their kids up so they can see but people need to use reasonable precautions to keep their children out of harm's way. Now a little boy is dead and the mother will probably never forgive herself. And there is one less dog of an endangered species. The dogs are wild animals put in the zoo by humans. It wasn't their fault.

Thank you for this post.

 

[Elley Mae]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...-mauled-to-death-by-african-painted-dogs?lite

This article shows pictures of the observation deck.

 

[Perodicticus potto]

Depending on which news story you read, there was between a 10- and 15-foot drop from the fence to the ground. Any bystanders who jumped in (which wouldn't have been that easy to do - they would have had to climb the fence first) would very likely have ended up being injured. This would have limited their ability to help the boy, provided the dogs with another possible victim and made more work for emergency crews. I'm a trained first aider, and one of the first things they teach us in our training is: DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER.

As for why all the dogs weren't shot, it's because all but one of them came away from the boy when their keepers commanded it. I sincerely hope the rest of them won't be destroyed now. They are wild animals who were following their instincts, and if the mother had respected the rules and boundaries of the zoo, her child would not have been in any danger.

(Having said that, I don't think the mother should be charged with a crime. She's being punished enough.)

 

[pghbrandi]

Depending on which news story you read, there was between a 10- and 15-foot drop from the fence to the ground. Any bystanders who jumped in (which wouldn't have been that easy to do - they would have had to climb the fence first) would very likely have ended up being injured. This would have limited their ability to help the boy, provided the dogs with another possible victim and made more work for emergency crews. I'm a trained first aider, and one of the first things they teach us in our training is: DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER.

As for why all the dogs weren't shot, it's because all but one of them came away from the boy when their keepers commanded it. I sincerely hope the rest of them won't be destroyed now. They are wild animals who were following their instincts, and if the mother had respected the rules and boundaries of the zoo, her child would not have been in any danger.

(Having said that, I don't think the mother should be charged with a crime. She's being punished enough.)

I don't know if you can see it from the pics that are posted, but there is a hill on the left of the exhibit. I remember always thinking it was so close to where we would stand that if one of the dogs go out we would be dead.
My point, if someone were to jump in, I don't think it would've been that hard to get back out.
I (and my hubbby) can't believe not one person helped. If that were my boys, I would've hopped over without a second thought. I read somewhere that is was seven minutes he was lying there before the dogs got to him. I can't remember where.

 

[JeannaT]

I don't know if you can see it from the pics that are posted, but there is a hill on the left of the exhibit. I remember always thinking it was so close to where we would stand that if one of the dogs go out we would be dead.
My point, if someone were to jump in, I don't think it would've been that hard to get back out.
I (and my hubbby) can't believe not one person helped. If that were my boys, I would've hopped over without a second thought. I read somewhere that is was seven minutes he was lying there before the dogs got to him. I can't remember where.

I would have done it, if it were my child, without a second thought also. The problem is, the mom was up on a platform 15 feet above - she couldn't easily get in. Those on the ground, including the zookeepers, aren't inclined to risk their own lives to save a child who in fact might have died from the fall. I think if this child were running from the dogs, or showing clear signs of being able to survive this, there would have been more action. I don't think - once people reacted - that the dogs were still attacking the boy - but rather, standing over him.

This is so completely parallel to the awful Hurricane Sandy story of the people who weren't willing to leave their safe homes to risk their lives recovering the remains of two boys who had drowned in the flood.

In the same way, no one was willing to take on those wild animals to rescue this child's remains and risk being killed themselves in the process.

This is sad, awful, and completely preventable.

BTW - it was 7 minutes between the time he fell in the enclosure, and they got the last dog away from him by shooting it to death. He was attacked immediately when he fell in, making it indeterminate at this point whether the fall killed him, or the dogs. Almost immediately the dogs were prevented from further attack but that one refused to stop standing over him, threatening further attack. IMHO, as I've read it.

 

[Hopeful One]

So sad, what a tragedy.

I agree with others who say this is not the zoo's fault. People should respect the warnings - read the signs and follow the precautions. I feel for this mother and I know she didn't intend for this to happen - but she should never have been holding her son up on the railing. That's just common sense. When you don't follow rules and you throw caution out the window, bad things can happen.

 

[pghbrandi]

I would have done it, if it were my child, without a second thought also. The problem is, the mom was up on a platform 15 feet above - she couldn't easily get in. Those on the ground, including the zookeepers, aren't inclined to risk their own lives to save a child who in fact might have died from the fall. I think if this child were running from the dogs, or showing clear signs of being able to survive this, there would have been more action. I don't think - once people reacted - that the dogs were still attacking the boy - but rather, standing over him.

This is so completely parallel to the awful Hurricane Sandy story of the people who weren't willing to leave their safe homes to risk their lives recovering the remains of two boys who had drowned in the flood.

In the same way, no one was willing to take on those wild animals to rescue this child's remains and risk being killed themselves in the process.

This is sad, awful, and completely preventable.

BTW - it was 7 minutes between the time he fell in the enclosure, and they got the last dog away from him by shooting it to death. He was attacked immediately when he fell in, making it indeterminate at this point whether the fall killed him, or the dogs. Almost immediately the dogs were prevented from further attack but that one refused to stop standing over him, threatening further attack. IMHO, as I've read it.

Thanks for clearing up the seven minutes for me. I thought it was seven minutes before the dogs attacked.
Such a sad story.

 

[oh_gal]

I've seen parents do stuff like this (lifting their kids up for a better peek). It is a stupid and careless thing to do, but I think a lot of parents have let their guard down where safety or following the rules in circumstances like this are concerned. For all we know, this mom saw another parent do this, or she'd done the same thing, countless times before and nothing bad ever happened. Does it make it right? Of course not. But look around you...it happens everywhere, the whole, "Rules are for everyone else, not me," attitude.

This was a tragic way to learn a lesson, but hopefully Mom did, in case she has other children to care for. She will suffer for the rest of her life over her actions.

Prosecuting her might deter other parents from doing the same (and that's debatable), but nothing will bring her boy back.

 

[com n sense]

This is awful I pray that little guy was knocked out completely before the dogs got to him . I can't even begin to imagine the horror his mom feels. I know I would just want to die & could never live with myself after this.

 

[Skagirl]

Signs will not help. People don't listen to signs, that's why more safety features should be put into place. I am not saying this is the Zoo's fault, I am saying places need to take into consideration that people are stupid and do not listen to signs.

Another thing is that they should have shot all those dogs to try and get to him. I don't care that they are endangered animals, a child's life is more important then an animals life.

Maybe they can use stories like this as a precaution to why people should pay attention to those signs. I'm sure the zoo has to carry insurance and has to have all their exhibits have some kind of safety feature for people not following the rules; it just didn't work as planned. I doubt the zoo thought if someone fell on the netting, that they would bounce into an exhibit, but now they know that it's a possibility, I'm sure they will fix it.

If they killed all the dogs, then no one would get to see them. Do you think it's fair to deny other people visiting the zoo the chance to get to see all the animals because someone else didn't want to follow the rules?

 

[Sonya610]

If they killed all the dogs, then no one would get to see them. Do you think it's fair to deny other people visiting the zoo the chance to get to see all the animals because someone else didn't want to follow the rules?

Slaughtering innocent wild animals held captive against their will wouldn't be fair to the PEOPLE that think it's fun to view them? Wow.

 

[websurfer]

My gut opinion when I first heard it was....
this child went to the Zoo having a good time...
then the Mother decided to let the child get a better look?

:what:
walls
:fence:
fences
barriers etc are there for a reason..
yes like some saying they feel bad for the Mom of the child, sure so do i.
but why lift a kid MJ style and dangle then drop?
:waitasec:
now the boy is gone forever.
just like the other boy who was 12 ran across railroad tracks while Trick or treating in Pittsburgh and got hit by a car and killed.
why?
Not paying attention?
what?
Sad and we still do not know if charges will be filed.
I say signs are there for a reason.
If you can not read those signs have someone read them for you.
Maybe she was non English speaking and could not read the sign?
Do not know..
but a poor child is dead now..:twocents: just to look at some nasy looking mean dogs...
I love dogs just not those kind.

 

[websurfer]

Slaughtering innocent wild animals held captive against their will wouldn't be fair to the PEOPLE that think it's fun to view them? Wow.

They did a bad thing, but the child fell into their den crying probably?
And they wanted to attack the noise right?:waitasec:

 

[eileenhawkeye]

My gut opinion when I first heard it was....
this child went to the Zoo having a good time...
then the Mother decided to let the child get a better look?

:what:
walls
:fence:
fences
barriers etc are there for a reason..
yes like some saying they feel bad for the Mom of the child, sure so do i.
but why lift a kid MJ style and dangle then drop?
:waitasec:
now the boy is gone forever.
just like the other boy who was 12 ran across railroad tracks while Trick or treating in Pittsburgh and got hit by a car and killed.
why?
Not paying attention?
what?
Sad and we still do not know if charges will be filed.
I say signs are there for a reason.
If you can not read those signs have someone read them for you.
Maybe she was non English speaking and could not read the sign?
Do not know..
but a poor child is dead now..:twocents: just to look at some nasy looking mean dogs...
I love dogs just not those kind.

The dogs are wild animals. Not sure why you are calling them mean...Are they suppose to be nice? :waitasec:

 

[Sonya610]

They did a bad thing, but the child fell into their den crying probably?
And they wanted to attack the noise right?:waitasec:

I would say the person that put their baby on top of the railing and let the kid fall into a pit full of wild dogs is the one that "did a bad thing". Keep in mind if this mother thought it was a good idea to perch her baby on railings the kid could just as easily have FALLEN to his death. Just so happens he survived the fall and the dogs got him.

The dogs are WILD ANIMALS, it isn't their responsibility to be gentle nor kind to strangers that invade their tiny enclosure. Those dogs would probably eat abandoned human young in the wild, that is their nature and that means they did not do anything wrong!

 

[Skagirl]

Slaughtering innocent wild animals held captive against their will wouldn't be fair to the PEOPLE that think it's fun to view them? Wow.

I'm not sure how to take your response. I didn't put all of the quote in my last response that I should have. I'll fix my post.

 

[Marah]

YOu can see the deck here starting at about 20 seconds. This is from a few months ago when they first had issues with a different issue.

[video=youtube;Guu4O5ZVwC0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guu4O5ZVwC0&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]

 

[lizzybeth]

That video has been disabled.