34 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

Officials of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium confirmed this afternoon that a little boy was mauled to death today after falling into the African painted dog exhibit.

The incident occurred at 11:48 a.m. at the Highland Park complex, according to emergency dispatch supervisor. The zoo was shut down within a half-hour of the incident and will remain closed indefinitely.

A Pittsburgh police officer shot and killed one of the 11 dogs in the exhibit.

http://www.post-gaze...exhibit-660606/

How awful

[ouija ouija]

How, exactly, did the child get into the enclosure I wonder?

[Hasina]

ouija ouija, on 04 November 2012 - 09:32 PM, said:

How, exactly, did the child get into the enclosure I wonder?

'Zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said the child, who was about 3 years old, was on an outing with his mother when he fell over a wooden railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display. A zoo spokeswoman said the wooden railing is 4 feet in height and the lower mesh barrier is 14 feet above the open exhibit space.'

[ouija ouija]

Hasina, on 04 November 2012 - 09:35 PM, said:

'Zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said the child, who was about 3 years old, was on an outing with his mother when he fell over a wooden railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display. A zoo spokeswoman said the wooden railing is 4 feet in height and the lower mesh barrier is 14 feet above the open exhibit space.'

I can't picture what they mean by a 'mesh barrier' ...... doesn't sound as though it and the fence were adequate to keep people safe, anyway.

[RamblingRebel]

That's tragic.

I don't know the exact situation as to what happened, but surely there must've been someone around who was capable of jumping in after the kid to save him, it's not as though they are tigers or lions.

Like what about the guy banging a rake to distract them?!  Hit the dogs with the rake ffs, they are eating a little kid, don't prance around like an idiot.

Maybe I got it wrong, but I don't really get it.

Besides that I do feel sorry for the kids family and the people who had to witness it.

[RamblingRebel]

They say the barriers were 4ft high and I'm thinking the kid couldn't be that tall, so I'm thinking he's been climbing on the fence, but then again what kid doesn't when they go to the zoo to get a better look.

[Hilander]

This is such a horrible thing to have happen to the kid. I don't see how the mother kept from jumping in there herself.

Why do parents feel that they can ignore little kids around wild animals.  This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

[Bling]

Poor kid, poor family....and everyone who witnessed it  

[QuiteContrary]

I hope the child was killed by the fall before the dogs got to him. So very sad...

Maybe they should let kids test zoo barriers, etc., rather than some old adults okaying enclosures.

[RamblingRebel]

QuiteContrary, on 04 November 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

I hope the child was killed by the fall before the dogs got to him. So very sad...

Maybe they should let kids test zoo barriers, etc., rather than some old adults okaying enclosures.

Thats actually a very good idea.  Wonder if they do something like that before they build them?

[lsra]

This is awful.  Kids are all over the place, that's why you have to have a constant eye on them.  It's so easy for me to automatically blame the mother for not watching her child, but I wasn't there and didn't see what happened.  But still...

[Still Waters]

I see they've changed the wording in the news report slightly since my OP. It now says -

"Pittsburgh police Major Crimes Lt. Kevin Kraus said the boy's 34-year-old mother placed the child 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. Kraus said."

http://www.post-gaze...exhibit-660606/

[Simbi Laveau]

This is tragic on so many levels

[QuiteContrary]

Maybe they should test out kids with their parents before using a particular enclosure or fencing. You can't ignore what you think some kids or parents will not do.

My heart goes out to the mother. It only takes a second to make a mistake a tragic mistake. I don't think any parent gets by without a close call.

[pallidin]

They don't have "above human" fences? Shame, shame.