Boy Falls into African Painted Dog Exhibit at Piitsburgh Zoo Dies

[Nova]

Again.... His mother didn't jump in

It appears it was a 20-foot drop with a net barrier. And mere seconds between the time the child fell and the time the child was dead.

Yes, I'd like to think I'd jump without a second thought, but I have to admit there's no way to know: I might just freeze. It isn't a situation that most of us are trained to handle.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I agree with you Nova, these animals are brought here from their natural habitat, so people can see something that most of us would never see. The zoos are just trying to educate the public. These animals are on this Earth for a purpose. If we let everything that is dangerous become extinct, the circle of life would cease to exist. Accidents happen, these are wild animals they don't know right from wrong. By the way humans are the most dangerous of all animals, should we cease to exist?

Five of them were born in captivity. They're endangered, breeding is extremely important.




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[Linda7NJ]

JMOO.
mom is 34 years old, should of had better judgement.
We should know more about her before we speak???
It is just like she left a loaded gun on a bed,IMO.
She (and husband) has to live with this forever.
As I feel so bad for her, she also petrified many people that day.
Bless all who was there, it must of been the most horrible thing to hear and see.
Her actions put rescuers in danger.
Many mothers that their children die because they drove drunk,
or other accidents are charged with neglect.
This decision is on a judge.
It will be a shame if the painted dog exhibit closes.
Many people may never get to see them now.
R.I.P. dear little one.
This was so preventable. JMOO

I think she should be charged.

I read in one of the news articles it's the first death since the zoo opened, in 1898!!!!


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[Linda7NJ]

people need to respect wild animals.
Watch and protect your children!
I hate to see videos of small children beating against glass
teasing lions also.
One day they will do that to an animal and no glass, even a pet
will attack.
Then everyone is mad at the animal...............JMOO

I once went to work for a friend of mine that owns an educational traveling petting zoo. I was sooo excited!!!

She had to fire me the first day because I was so confrontational with a parent that stood there watching their children throw sand in a baby goats face.

I don't know how anyone that cares about animals to subject them to brats and their moronic parents!


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[Linda7NJ]

What a great idea, Linda!

Do you live in WV? If so, I highly recommend a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo.

No, New Jersey. I'm extremely close to the Philadelphia Zoo. We also do the Cape May Zoo And the Popcorn Zoo.


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[JeannaT]

Lordy. The more I hear about this, the more I believe she should be charged. If it's true, and many witness can verify this that she STOOD that toddler on that very uneven surface (meant to make children balanced there fall backward into the parents' arms) and then she backed away and didn't hold the child, this was gross felony neglect, imho. I've certainly lifted toddlers up, and can see a parent seating a child on that narrow beam while holding the child around the waist with both arms, but to STAND a toddler up on that uneven narrow beam high above the ground and then let go - I'd call that manslaughter.

If that's not what actually happened, I take all this back.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

"Homicide investigators have interviewed several witnesses and zoo personnel, and the investigation is ongoing," police said in a written statement.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/05/zoo-no-time-to-save-child-mauled-by-african-painted-dogs/


HOMICIDE??

defintion: The deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another; murder.

 

[passionflower]

Lordy. The more I hear about this, the more I believe she should be charged. If it's true, and many witness can verify this that she STOOD that toddler on that very uneven surface (meant to make children balanced there fall backward into the parents' arms) and then she backed away and didn't hold the child, this was gross felony neglect, imho. I've certainly lifted toddlers up, and can see a parent seating a child on that narrow beam while holding the child around the waist with both arms, but to STAND a toddler up on that uneven narrow beam high above the ground and then let go - I'd call that manslaughter.

If that's not what actually happened, I take all this back.

IMO the zoo is as safe as a zoo can be.
People that get hurt usually do not abide by the rules.
I don't blame the zoo at all.
The animals are wild and dangerous, not tame at all.
The dogs have their shots and are healthy.

 

[passionflower]

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/05/zoo-no-time-to-save-child-mauled-by-african-painted-dogs/


HOMICIDE??

defintion: The deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another; murder.

that makes me feel ill. Please don't let this be 'on purpose'.

 

[Sonya610]

Although there were zoo officials within feet of the exhibit, and others rushed to the scene, it was too late – it was clear the child was dead, Baker said. "There was no reason to send our staff into harm's way" at that point, she said.

An emergency weapons team and the police arrived. The dogs were moved to another area and are now quarantined. But one dog refused to leave. The police needed to access the scene so, with the zoo's approval, two officers opened fire, killing the remaining dog.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/05/zoo-no-time-to-save-child-mauled-by-african-painted-dogs/

Wait...so they KNEW the kid was dead, they were NOT in a rush to save the kid but they didn't bring out tranquilizer darts? They let the police gun down the last dog that was guarding a dead body???

They killed a member of an endangered species to speed along the police investigation?

 

[Pensfan]

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/05/zoo-no-time-to-save-child-mauled-by-african-painted-dogs/


HOMICIDE??

defintion: The deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another; murder.

As of 9:45 pm on Nov 5th, none of the local Pittsburgh stations are hinting at anything other than a really horrific accident.

 

[iamnotagolem]

I'm so sick of parents killing their children.

Deliberate or not, she killed him.

 

[Skagirl]

A zookeeper moved seven of the 11 dogs out of the exhibit, and a Veterinarian Department member shot darts trying to scare away the remaining dogs.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/04/zoo-animals-kill-small-child/

 

[passionflower]

I have local news on,(Fox 53 WPXI channel 11) so far a lady has set up a facebook site for sympathies to family and she is getting donations for burial of dear baby.
Neighbor of sweet boy being interviewed.
Looks like a very nice home, nice neighborhood and a loving couple.
They parents did everything with baby.
Is he their only child?
Baby bounced 2 times from the netting.
Railings are designed so children do not use them.
At a 45 degree angle to fall backwards.
African Painted dogs are nicknamed the "devil's dog'

 

[Linda7NJ]

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/05/zoo-no-time-to-save-child-mauled-by-african-painted-dogs/


HOMICIDE??

defintion: The deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another; murder.

It doesn't need to be deliberate.

In matters of law and manner of death, it's death by the hand of another.

Like criminally negligent homicide in that it was foreseeable and mom showed reckless disregard.

 

[passionflower]

It seemed so cold to go to the zoo this past week.
I hate the cold damp weather, I would stay in the aquarium
and inside exhibits myself.
Just saying......

 

[shadowraiths]

It will be interesting to see if they charge the woman with negligent homicide. I, personally, think they should. Even though she is no doubt devastated by the incident.


From this article ( link ), it sounds like she stood him up on the rail.

City police said the boy's 34-year-old mother had placed him in a standing position on a wooden railing overlooking the enclosure.

"Almost immediately after that, he lost his balance, fell down off the railing into the actual pit, and he was immediately attacked by 11 dogs," Lt. Kevin Kraus said.​

... which was wholly unnecessary, as can be seen in this video.

[video=youtube;Guu4O5ZVwC0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guu4O5ZVwC0&t=0m20s[/video]
Otherwise put, there was no reason whatsoever to stand that little boy on the rail. Moreover, to stand him up there without even at least holding onto him????

 

[Bonnie Blue]

IMO there is absolutely nothing the law can do to this woman that's going to be worse than the hell she has to live with for the rest of her life. My heart goes out to her and everyone else who witnessed this tragedy.

 

[michmi]

From the account of the child "losing his balance", I picture the mother propping the child up to stand on the railing so the kid could see. Very, VERY unwise.

But isn't publicizing this event sufficient to educate the public? Why must we use court time and resources to prosecute the mother?

(I'm not saying somebody else won't do something just as unwise. I'm saying that those who will heed the lesson have the info they need; the others aren't going to be better motivated by a criminal prosecution.)

I would really be against any sort of prosecution at this point. I think the suffering she is already enduring is already more than anyone could take. I also feel sorry for anyone else who had to watch that--how awful it must have been.

 

[MissExec]

IMO there is absolutely nothing the law can do to this woman that's going to be worse than the hell she has to live with for the rest of her life. My heart goes out to her and everyone else who witnessed this tragedy.

Accidents happen all the time, there are legal consequences all the time. There have to be legal consequences when an adult's recklessness causes harm (death!!) to a child. Without a doubt, the mother will be incarcerated for the rest if her life due to the pain she feels in her heart. My guess is she'll be charged with reckless homicide or involuntary manslaughter. A judge has discretion to sentence to probation with mental health monitoring. It actually may be a blessing in disguise for the hurting mother.

We don't want another story like the Wayment-case in Utah where the father responsible for his son's death shot himself at the very place where his PJ-clothed toddler son froze to death.

The link to the Wayment case is here:

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2002-Feature-Writing Pulitzer-awarded article

http://abcnews.go.com/US/t/story?id=92851&page=1