Boy, 2, Killed In Mauling At Pittsburgh Zoo

[The Interpreter]

First a 14 foot fall, then mauled by African painted dogs:

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

[standbyme]

I don't even want to imagine how horrifying this whole event must have been.

[The Interpreter]

After tiger incidents in the past several years, I cannot fathom an enclosure/fence a three year old could topple over. I fear there is more to this....

[shark6495]

Reading this just made me sick. Many questions will be asked but right now the only thing that should be asked is how can we help the mother/father of that young child? For many of us it will be a simple prayer for this family to find peace. For others it may be donating to the family in the future. Either way, what a horrible moment for this family, so close to the upcoming holidays.

[The Interpreter]

Video and more information has been added. The three year old apparently "flipped over" the top of a 48 inch high railing.

[jcgoble3]

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.

To be blunt, his mother is an idiot, and I have no sympathy for idiots. Any reasonable person should have known not to put a toddler in a position where he could easily fall over 10 feet into an exhibit of vicious animals. It's called "common ****ing sense". People who are that stupid should not be allowed to have children. I hope she goes to jail over this; they could get her not only for some charge over her son's death, but probably also for indirectly forcing police to kill an animal that is a member of an endangered species.

[The Interpreter]

I was afraid this was the case. I could not fathom how a three year old boy could flip over a 48 inch tall railing. At first, it was said there were no witnesses. On a Sunday at the Pittsburgh Zoo? Not likely.

[Browntggrr]

^^ She made a terrible mistake, one that she will live with the rest of her life.

Sending her to jail accomplishes nothing.

Use jail for the real criminals.

[The Interpreter]

It wouldn't even stop her from suing the zoo. Which she may very well do. "This should not have been possible. The Zoo should have foreseen my carelessness."

[malem]

^^ She, along with the rest of society, needs to realize that failure to attentively care for young children isn't just tragic - it's criminal.

It's fairly certain that she didn't want harm to come to her child, but gross child negligence needs to have criminal penalties regardless. Granted, a long jail sentence isn't appropriate for such a momentary (yet severe) lapse in judgement, but she shouldn't get off scot-free.

^ Even if she acknowledges that she's partially (or even mostly) at-fault, that doesn't stop her from suing the zoo for their part in the accident. Even buglers have been known to sue owners of houses they've broken into, after getting hurt.

[Browntggrr]

^^ She, along with the rest of society, needs to realize that failure to attentively care for young children isn't just tragic - it's criminal.

It's fairly certain that she didn't want harm to come to her child, but gross child negligence needs to have criminal penalties regardless. Granted, a long jail sentence isn't appropriate for such a momentary (yet severe) lapse in judgement, but she shouldn't get off scot-free.

This isn't a parent that left a 6 year old at home alone to go out and drink, or a parent who left their kids in a car on a hot summer day. Those are most certainly prime examples of failing to attentively care for a child. This is a parent that lifted thier child at the zoo to see the animals better and accidentally dropped her child.

This type of action resembles most parents/ guardians at any zoo, including my own actions many years ago. Shouldn't I be put in jail too? Or because I didn't drop my kid it is ok?

This mother does not have to go to jail, and she is most certainly not getting off "scot-free". She has already began serving a life sentence knowing her actions ended the life of her child.

[Browntggrr]

*dang fat fingers*

[SonofBaconator]

See this stuff never happens in Cincinnati. At the zoo we take the necessary precautions to keep our guests as safe as possible even if its the smallest of things. Having volunteered there for more than two years, safety is one of our top priorities. Bless the family of that poor child.

[shark6495]

while this is horrible and tragic and other words that do not accurately state what this event is.

Should she be punished further? Will her family always ask her what was she thinking? Every day she will look at the room where her child played and the place where her child ate and know she was the reason that her child is no longer here.

Family will try and help her through these times. Sure we could throw her into jail. But the jails are already over crowded as they are. Odds are to this mother a life time sentence in a jail cell would be no different than told to live in her home for the rest of her life knowing what could have been. Its not like she OD'ed on a drug and passed out. She raised her child and he fell out. Horrible horrible news.

[The Interpreter]

See this stuff never happens in Cincinnati. At the zoo we take the necessary precautions to keep our guests as safe as possible even if its the smallest of things. Having volunteered there for more than two years, safety is one of our top priorities. Bless the family of that poor child.

What?

A mother apparently let her son stand on top of a railing. He lost his balance and fell.

That could happen nearly anywhere.

[shark6495]

Sonofbaconador things can still happen at the Cincinnati Zoo. Precautions can be made, but sometimes the precautions cause people to try and do stuff to get a better view. I think of the lion at the zoo (the old set up). I could have leaned over to get a better picture, get bumped, and go over into the pit.

[SonofBaconator]

Sonofbaconador things can still happen at the Cincinnati Zoo. Precautions can be made, but sometimes the precautions cause people to try and do stuff to get a better view. I think of the lion at the zoo (the old set up). I could have leaned over to get a better picture, get bumped, and go over into the pit.

True true. What I'm saying is that we make sure we take the precautions with our enclosures so tragic incidents like these never happen. We fixed up a lot of the old exhibits to prevent things like this. But you and terp are right, it could happen anywhere.

[The Interpreter]

And so has the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Both are AZA accredited. That is not easy to obtain.

[malem]

This isn't a parent that left a 6 year old at home alone to go out and drink, or a parent who left their kids in a car on a hot summer day. Those are most certainly prime examples of failing to attentively care for a child. This is a parent that lifted thier child at the zoo to see the animals better and accidentally dropped her child.

This type of action resembles most parents/ guardians at any zoo, including my own actions many years ago. Shouldn't I be put in jail too? Or because I didn't drop my kid it is ok?

This mother does not have to go to jail, and she is most certainly not getting off "scot-free". She has already began serving a life sentence knowing her actions ended the life of her child.

The facts of this tragedy are still largely unknown. If the mother's actions (or lack thereof) rose to the level of criminal negligence, she should bear some criminal responsibility. Any such action obviously pales in comparison to the much, much harsher reality of losing a child.

It's certainly possible that this was an unforeseeable accident on the mother's part, in which case charges would obviously be inappropriate.

I agree that jail is not appropriate.

[74Gibson]

My thoughts go out to the family. This is truly tragic.

Shark, I agree with you mostly but the logic kinda misses the point. Plenty of murderers, thieves and pedophiles have deep remorse for their actions but further actions are necessary for protection of the community. Parents are supposed to protect their children and that is a major responsibility. Just like working a round dangerous chemicals, extra caution is necessary.

[shark6495]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/04/pittsburgh-zoo-child-killed/1681645/

http://www.localnews8.com/news/Zoo-animals-kill-small-child/-/308662/17262584/-/3xeqw8z/-/index.html

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/04/14922258-boy-falls-into-pittsburgh-zoo-exhibit-mauled-to-death-by-african-painted-dogs?lite

Links to other stories covering this... the Painted Dog is about the size of a wolf. Its bite is the strongest of all carnivores and second strongest of all animals second only to the the marsupial devil.

[shark6495]

My thoughts go out to the family. This is truly tragic.

Shark, I agree with you mostly but the logic kinda misses the point. Plenty of murderers, thieves and pedophiles have deep remorse for their actions but further actions are necessary for protection of the community. Parents are supposed to protect their children and that is a major responsibility. Just like working a round dangerous chemicals, extra caution is necessary.

I understand your thought, but this mother did not leave home thinking Im going to drop my child into the dog pit. I am not saying she does not need to face charges but ultimately anything the law can throw at this mother, will most likely pale in comparison to what she is feeling.

Gibson, I do not know if you have a child or not, but if you did and the child were to die under your watch, say drowns in a pool. Would it really matter to you what the law says or does to you? Again, I am not saying she should be let free because of remorse, but ultimately, anything that the public would/could charge her with would never match the internal conflict.

[Browntggrr]

The facts of this tragedy are still largely unknown. If the mother's actions (or lack thereof) rose to the level of criminal negligence, she should bear some criminal responsibility.

There will certainly be an investigation, and if they find that this tragedy was premeditated, she should be dropped in the same enclosure.

[jdawg1998]

I don't understand how he fell...14 feet? What person can hold their child up that high? Or am I not reading it right?

[The Interpreter]

The fence was four feet high.

There was a pit below where the dogs were. That had a mesh net above it (probably at or just below the visitors' feet). It was 14 feet from the net to the ground.

[jdawg1998]

The fence was four feet high.

There was a pit below where the dogs were. That had a mesh net above it (probably at or just below the visitors' feet). It was 14 feet from the net to the ground.

Thanks for clearing that up. I was confused!

[74Gibson]

Shark,

I have a 4 year old daughter who I love dearly. Therefore I am very careful to not put her in dnagerous situations. You're right Shark, if she died under my care legal consequences would be a drop in the bucket of my pain.

My previous career was dedicated to helping children in neglectful situations... and my primary goal was keeping them in the home by improving the parents ability to provide for, protect and nurture them. I have had many days in court over abuse and neglect cases and am considered an expert by many.

If you put your child in harms way you are responsible. You're the adult and should take that responsibility seriously enough to always go the extra step in protecting them. Not putting them in dangerous situations.

Whether or not she deserves legal consequences depends on the situation. If I took my child on a sled that repeatedly ended up going into a busy street and we eventually got hit and severely injured surely you would see me liable. At least I hope you would. If we we're injured hitting a tree that was well out of our path it would be different.

[PREMiERdrum]

Such a tragedy, and one caused by negligence. A young, innocent life lost is among the most difficult to fathom, especially for this father of 2.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where common sense is in dangerously low supply. The net effect will be completely isolationist styles of zoo enclosures, which is an absolute shame. The most successful enclosure designs of late have used combinations of glazed glass windows, allowing incredibly close encounters, and wide open vistas, allowing more sweeping views of the animals in their habitat.

[The Interpreter]

Why did the wild dogs attack?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/11/121105-african-wild-dogs-pittsburgh-zoo-animals-science/

[The Interpreter]

Toy Trucks Memorialize Boy Killed At Zoo:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/region/toy-trucks-memorialize-boy-killed-at-zoo-661359/

More than 3ooo so far:

http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1694195