Boy Falls into African Painted Dog Exhibit at Piitsburgh Zoo Dies

[passionflower]

No one ever gave Maddox's weight but I heard many say he was 'tiny'.
So a tether may off helped, but then again there was none.

 

[Nova]

If they are made with nylon straps they would probably be plenty strong enough. Design wise I would think it could/would slip right off over the kids head though.

Regardless I don't think the child leash manufacturers would approve this usage, next thing you know people will be suing them when they drop their kid off the side of the Grand Canyon and the child strangles or comes free.

True, Sonya. I wasn't actually proposing that parents use child-tethers to dangle children in the air. Nor did I mean to suggest a tether would have made a difference in this case. I was just curious, having never seen one up close.

 

[Nova]

I am hoping the mother does not attempt any sort of lawsuit. It is my feeling that her own culpability and guilt over same will prevent her from wanting to confront the zoo and her own actions in a courtroom settings.

I know your post is about the shame the mother will feel, and you may be right.

But I believe gitana1 is a lawyer and can confirm that it isn't "all or nothing" in our civil court system. A jury can find that the plaintiff is culpable to a certain extent, but the defendant also contributed to the tort and is culpable to its own degree.

Damages are then adjusted accordingly.

I'm sure the mother will have no problem finding a lawyer who is willing to argue that although the mother should have watched Maddox more closely, the zoo should have made it more difficult for a child to fall into the enclosure.

I can hear the closing argument: "The Pittsburgh Zoo thought it was important to save its customers' CAMERAS, but never thought to ensure the safety of a CHILD!"

 

[Sonya610]

True, Sonya. I wasn't actually proposing that parents use child-tethers to dangle children in the air. Nor did I mean to suggest a tether would have made a difference in this case. I was just curious, having never seen one up close.

Thing is the parents that would be so ultra careful and use a tether to be "extra safe" wouldn't let something like this happen to begin with.

I personally do not want to see child tethers go mainstream. With dog leashes it is expected that people keep the animal close to them and don't let strangers get caught up in the leash.

If everyone started using child tethers then the next thing you know you would be getting tripped or hung up on them in grocery store isles and everywhere else. Parents would blissfully let the kid do as they pleased without having to "watch them" every minute.

 

[Nova]

Good point, Sonya. i hadn't really thought of the consequences of a store full of hundreds of children on tethers.

And now I can't even remember how we got on this subject. I don't think anyone has claimed that Maddox' mother should have had him on a tether.

ETA I would only disagree with your first sentence that watchful parents wouldn't let something like this happen. I don't think we know enough about the incident to make that call, but even the best of parents have moments of distraction.

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

A tether would hopefully prevent a toddler from getting that far. It really is a leash like you would use for a dog and it clips on to a harness for the child.

In the early 1950's when I was a toddler, my parents used one of these on me. We have old film where you can see me wearing one while walking down the street. We lived in Brooklyn, NY and there was a lot of traffic in the area. I guess these harnesses would prevent children from running into the street. I think they're a good idea.

But in a case like Maddox's, he would have fallen with such force that the unsuspecting parent probably wouldn't be able to tighten their grip on the leash quickly enough. So, whether you're using the harness or not, the trick is to be holding on tightly enough, which this mom wasn't doing.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Which is why someone suggested a tether. Then someone else stated that's what hands are for. I was responding to that.

Lol just to lighten the subject matter for a second. I think if there was a law that all children need to be tethered to a parent during waking hours until the child reaches the age of 13 there would be far better behaved children and adults in the world.

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

Lol just to lighten the subject matter for a second. I think if there was a law that all children need to be tethered to a parent during waking hours until the child reaches the age of 13 there would be far better behaved children and adults in the world.

Great idea! But I'm not sure I agree with the age of 13. There are some 'adults' I'd like to see tethered, as well!

 

[clarabelle]

Lol just to lighten the subject matter for a second. I think if there was a law that all children need to be tethered to a parent during waking hours until the child reaches the age of 13 there would be far better behaved children and adults in the world.

I don't think there would be ANY children in the world
:floorlaugh:

 

[angelmom]

I don't think there would be ANY children in the world
:floorlaugh:

Or a lot of only children. :angel:

 

[kaki]

Here is an example of why the animals need to be kept safe from idiot humans that love to gawk and take chances at a zoo. One of these cats has a rack of ribs showing and the guy thinks it's hilarious when they want to hunt. He refers to the animals as an "it" as if he can't tell the difference between genders.

Hungry lions - YouTube

That is infuriating and disturbing on so many levels. "Oh..the glass wont break..its 3 inches thick". ...wow. :banghead:

Why put your child in that position just for a few laughs? They think because they are at a zoo they are protected...but not from their own stupidity!


I supposed they would have no problem also dangling their child over a pit of wild dogs. :furious:

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

That is infuriating and disturbing on so many levels. "Oh..the glass wont break..its 3 inches thick". ...wow. :banghead:

Why put your child in that position just for a few laughs? They think because they are at a zoo they are protected...but not from their own stupidity!

I supposed they would have no problem also dangling their child over a pit of wild dogs. :furious:

Even if the glass is strong enough to never break, I would be very shaken up to see my child rolling around only inches in front of a lion. I would be envisioning all kinds of scenarios in my mind, and would probably have nightmares. A few seconds would have been plenty of time to record the visit. I think dad has a sadistic streak and would love to have somehow gotten more action in the video. And the mother sounds just like one of those women who would let someone abuse her child. All she does is say, "no" while giggling the whole time. It makes me really wonder about those two.

Many years ago my parents were having an outdoor barbeque. A very clean sliding glass door separated the patio from the rec room. A twenty something cousin, with a plate of food in hand, didn't see the glass and walked right into it. I was surprised when the entire glass door shattered and fell to the ground. I would never have guessed that the glass would break under pressure from a knee during a normal stride. It just shows that accidents do happen.

 

[Nova]

Even if the glass is strong enough to never break, I would be very shaken up to see my child rolling around only inches in front of a lion. I would be envisioning all kinds of scenarios in my mind, and would probably have nightmares. A few seconds would have been plenty of time to record the visit. I think dad has a sadistic streak and would love to have somehow gotten more action in the video. And the mother sounds just like one of those women who would let someone abuse her child. All she does is say, "no" while giggling the whole time. It makes me really wonder about those two.

Many years ago my parents were having an outdoor barbeque. A very clean sliding glass door separated the patio from the rec room. A twenty something cousin, with a plate of food in hand, didn't see the glass and walked right into it. I was surprised when the entire glass door shattered and fell to the ground. I would never have guessed that the glass would break under pressure from a knee during a normal stride. It just shows that accidents do happen.

What happened to your cousin? People have been killed by those glass sliders!

Based entirely on my many hours watching Wild Kingdom and the like, I thought the cat's behavior in the video looked more like play than predation. (Not that playing with a lion is any less dangerous for a child.) Even so, after a short while I thought teasing the animal became decidedly UNfunny. (This is in reference to your point about the father's "sadistic streak".)

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

What happened to your cousin? People have been killed by those glass sliders!

Surprisingly, absolutely nothing happened to my cousin. Thanks for asking!

 

[Nova]

Surprisingly, absolutely nothing happened to my cousin. Thanks for asking!

Not at all. Glad to hear it.

 

[Darkman00]

Zoo To Make Changes After Boy’s Death (after the meeting)

December 6, 2012 10:21 PM

... The D.A. had a meeting with the zoo director and the police officers who responded to the tragic accident. He’s now reviewing how to prevent future accidents.

Sources tell KDKA’s Marty Griffin that the observation deck will be removed fairly quickly. It looks like the platform will be replaced by a glass wall but there could be a fence.

In another major development, sources say the District Attorney Office has agreed to provide high-powered rifles for the zoo.

Sources tell KDKA’s Marty Griffin that the number of .357-caliber rifles that will be purchased for the zoo has not yet been determined.

Sources also say a highly-trained zoo response team, that apparently already has weapons, will most likely be trained in the use of the .357 rifle by Pittsburgh police at the city’s gun range.

“We are going to work together with the zoo and with these administrative and regulatory agencies, and we’re going to do as best we can to prevent this type of tragedy from ever happening again,” said Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala last week.

He went inside the zoo Thursday morning to meet with zoo officials...

Read more: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/12/06/zoo-to-make-changes-after-boys-death/

 

[Darkman00]

Zoo officials: Toddler's death in Pittsburgh shows no zoo is 100 percent safe

7 Nov 2012, 9:10am, EST

By Andrew Mach, NBC News

The fatal mauling of a toddler by African wild dogs at the Pittsburgh Zoo highlights an uncomfortable truth for all zoos: No exhibit is fail-proof.

Striking a balance between providing a safe and yet authentic experience is an evolving science on its own, with the ultimate goal being to protect both animals and visitors, said Doug Warmolts, Director of Animal Care at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

♦◊♦

In San Diego, officials said the incident in Pittsburgh is likely to prompt larger, industry-wide reassessments.

“The way humans interact with animals has changed drastically over the last hundred years, so certainly one of the things that zoos have had to be is highly adaptive, especially in these situations when tragic accidents happen,” Christina Simmons, a spokesperson for the San Diego Zoo, told NBC News.

♦◊♦

Even with safety standards enforced, Wamolts said, the zoo industry is constantly dealing with "human error" by its visitors.

"What happened is very rare," Warmolts said. "We’re always in the process of evaluating and reviewing and making adjustments as needed, and it’s an art to try and determine how to do that. What’s more common is people exhibiting inappropriate behavior. It’s just unfortunate."

Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...n-pittsburgh-shows-no-zoo-is-100-percent-safe​

 

[Darkman00]

In tragedy’s wake I

By Tribune-Review

Published: Friday, December 7, 2012, 8:56 p.m.
Updated: Friday, December 7, 2012

I am disappointed that some on staff at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium decided to continue distributing their 2013 calendar, which features African painted dogs, after Maddox Derkosh was horrifically mauled to death by them. While half of the calendars were distributed before this shocking incident, I do not think it was necessary to continue the distribution afterward.

What were they thinking? I realize those in the zoological community work tirelessly to protect and provide for species and to educate us about them. However, I cannot believe that these respected professionals weren’t able to step into the shoes of the Derkosh family and see a bigger picture of hurt and disbelief that has touched our Pittsburgh community.

When they were discussing this decision, were they not able to think beyond the objectivity of animals and animal behavior and their professional duty to care for them? Not only do I not want to see the African painted dogs in the zoo calendar, I no longer want to see them at our zoo.

I can’t imagine that there is one Pittsburgher who wants to visit our zoo in the near future and gaze upon the dogs in a new and improved exhibit. How can anyone look at them without remembering the horror of Maddox’s death? Allow another zoo to care for them! Please be more sensitive about this tragedy.

Samantha Routh

Mt. Lebanon

Souce: http://triblive.com/opinion/letters/3038991-74/zoo-dogs-african
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

 

[Darkman00]

A Pittsburgh rabbi responds to death of toddler in zoo dog attack

Tuesday, 06 November 2012 16:53
Written by Ann Rodgers

This was sent to me by Rabbi Aaron Bisno, senior rabbi of Rodef Shalom Congregation, a Reform synagogue in Shadyside.

I am posting it in its entirety:

A Rabbinic Response to Recent Events at the Pittsburgh Zoo

November 6, 2012 Pittsburgh, PA— Our seven-year old, reached for the paper I had turned upside down on the counter. Before I could stop him, he read the headline. I didn’t want you to see that, I said. He was silent. He understood.

It’s a terrible story, and hoping he’d get my meaning, I inclined my head towards the four year-old in the room and added, we don’t need to talk about it now. I reasoned that even if I had carelessly allowed my older son to come upon this news, certainly I didn’t want to fail to protect his brother. What? The little one asked.

We piled into the car and then rather quickly, we told what we knew, my seven year-old and I. A boy got killed at the Zoo. He fell or slipped. What happened? We don’t know for sure. Awful. He slipped I guess. Was there blood? Did he cry? Guys, I don’t know. The whole story isn’t out yet. We may never know the whole story. A two year old died at the zoo yesterday, that’s what we know.

But then my seven year-old continued. Yeah. He fell into a cage and hit a net and then landed in the cage with wild dogs and he was killed by the dogs. His younger brother, How? Why?

-------

MUCH MORE at the Source: http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com...esponds-to-death-of-toddler-in-zoo-dog-attack

But originally posted at: http://rodefshalom.org/news/blog/responding-events-zoo-message-rabbi-bisno

 

[Darkman00]

Larger zoo safety net could have saved a life

November 25, 2012

The Maui News

Two-year-old Maddox Derkosh fell into an African painted dog exhibit when his mother was lifting him up to get a better view.

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