Life 2-year-old mauled to death by wild dogs after falling into Pittsburgh Zoo exhibit - Page 17

Deberg_1990 · 11-05-2012, 09:18 AM

Wow...horrible. RIP

A 2-year-old boy was mauled to death today after falling into the African painted dog exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.

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.

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

Zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said at a news conference shortly after the incident that the child fell over the wooden railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display. A zoo spokeswoman and police said the wooden railing is 4 feet in height and the lower mesh barrier is 11 feet 4 inches above the open exhibit space.

Lt. Kraus said zoo personnel responded within minutes. The first personnel on scene were able to lure seven of the dogs away from the victim and into a secure and separated area. A second set of personnel began "throwing objects and some other techniques that they use" to secure three more dogs.

He said the final dog, which was acting very aggressively toward the victim and zoo personnel, was shot multiple times by two Pittsburgh police officers and died.

Lt. Kraus said none of the people who observed the child fall into the enclosure made an attempt to go after him. The news release from zoo officials noted that keepers attempted to enter the yard but were unable to reach the child.

One ineffective technique used by zoo personnel to lure the animals away from the child was to fire "dummy tranquilizer rounds," Lt. Kraus said.

Information released from the zoo indicated that "unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding."

The child was pronounced dead at the scene 12 p.m.

The incident is under investigation by police and the zoo. Lt. Kraus said it would be inappropriate to speculate on potential charges at this time and the bureau will continue to investigate to determine if anything could have been prevented.

Police said the boy and his mother are from Pleasant Hills and were visiting the zoo with relatives, an adult and another child, at the time of the incident.

Ms. Cinti described a horrifying scene that lasted a little more than 5 minutes but seemed like hours.

"We were on our way to the polar bear exhibit when we heard the most horrible piercing screams. ... Someone was begging for help, asking someone to do something," she said. The couple ran back in the direction they came from, passing the bear exhibits. The screams continued.

As they reached the painted dog exhibit, she saw a small crowd of distressed onlookers. "One woman with a baby in the stroller was screaming that someone needed to do something," Ms. Cinti said. She said she could see the little boy's apparently lifeless body lying on the hill inside the exhibit. "There were three dogs: one at his head, one on the left side of his neck and another one down by his leg. ... A [zoo employee] got there and hopped over a fence with a rake and he was banging ... trying to distract the dogs but they wouldn't move," she said.

Ms. Cinti, a student at Community College of Allegheny County, tracked the time frame with her cell phone, saying she made a call at 11:49 a.m. when she and her boyfriend first headed toward the commotion. She said her cell phone shows that the call was ended five minutes and five seconds later, when a half-dozen zoo employees arrived and dispersed the crowd.

Bart DePasquale, who was at the zoo today with his two children for a birthday party, was near the tiger exhibit when he heard screams coming from the direction of the African painted dogs exhibit.

"People were yelling 'Get away,' and 'Stay away,' and it wasn't just one person, it was an entire group of people," said Mr. DePasquale, 29, of Fox Chapel. "The screams sounded heavily distressed and the people were using profanity. They were shouting to zoo employees."

Mr. DePasquale and Ms. Cinti said they were told to go inside the nearest buildings where they were kept there for about a half hour.

"We were locked down in the building and told to stay inside. ... We thought it was a problem with one of the animals that got loose. Then we were told it was an incident with the wild dogs and that a child had been hurt."

When patrons were told the zoo was closed and they needed to leave, Mr. DePasquale said, "On the way out, I saw a mother who was distressed and crying and other people who couldn't even talk about it. ... People and anyone who had been close were almost in tears, were walking out glassy-eyed. That's when multiple people told me the dogs attacked a young child."

Ms. Baker said the zoo initially declared a "code blue," meaning an accident involving a human had occurred. That was followed with a "code red," meaning that there was a serious human emergency.

Ms. Baker said no decision has been made about the future of the exhibit.

The African painted dog exhibit debuted after the October 2009 birth of the pups. A surrogate mutt was drafted into service for the nine pups after their natural mother died of a ruptured uterus. In the spring of this year, nine of the 11 painted dogs escaped a section of their enclosure causing a brief shutdown of the zoo.

Ms. Baker said at that time on May 5 that the dogs got into a 1.5-acre "backup yard" not visible to the public, but the dogs were not out of their exhibit.

African painted dogs are an endangered species.

In September, the zoo announced that it had again been accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums after a review of its animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety.

AZA is a nonprofit organization with a team of professionals that inspect and review each zoo or aquarium seeking accreditation. Currently 224 facilities have been recognized and approved by the organization, including eight in Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh zoo has been recognized by AZA since 1986.The accreditation commission evaluates every zoo and aquarium to determine if they meet accepted standards for safety policies and procedures, security, physical facilities, animal management and care, health and nutrition, veterinary programs, involvement in conservation and research and education programs.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...#ixzz2BMUJWMyp

Imon Yourside · 11-05-2012, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Yes, sir.

Obviously I don't know shit about how it would actually go down, but I'm sure stranger things have happened.

My point was it doesn't matter, You have to try if it's your kid.

jspchief · 11-05-2012, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorter

Why? They were doing what wild predators do. They are also endangered.

That's what wild predators do.

Wanna know what humans do? They shoot wild predators that eat their kids.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 09:57 PM

Well, as I stated earlier, I've had quite a few pals spend large portions of their lives living/working in Africa.

These dogs would seriously **** you up. Just 1.

Now, imagine 11. A human can't defend itself with no weapons against a ****ing Pit or German Shepard, and you think that an unarmed human is going to leap 14 feet into a pit and immediately start beating the shit of 11, hungry, pack mentality, wild animals that **** up hyenas and leopards?

What in the **** are you smoking? Bath Salts? lol

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

That's what wild predators do.

Wanna know what humans do? They shoot wild predators that eat their kids.

I'm not going to blame a group of wild animals for the dumbest woman on the planet.

ThaVirus · 11-05-2012, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN

My point was it doesn't matter, You have to try if it's your kid.

Oh, definitely.

I'm not saying I'm going to go out in the savannah in a loin cloth like I have a chance to survive. I'm just arguing that you never know, it may have been possible to save the kid. Even if you died and the child lived, it would be worth it. He had so much more life to live.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

That's what wild predators do.

Wanna know what humans do? They shoot wild predators that eat their kids.

Also, this is a horrible analogy. It isn't like these dogs escaped, stalked, and then were hunting kids. The dumb **** dropped her kid in because she's a ****ing moron and in all likelihood, shouldn't have been allowed to reproduce in the first place.

Brock · 11-05-2012, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

That's what wild predators do.

Wanna know what humans do? They shoot wild predators that eat their kids.

Of course, that's after they did something so stupid it defies description that got their kid eaten.

jspchief · 11-05-2012, 10:01 PM

Only on CP can you find people with first hand knowledge of the rare endangered painted dog.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

Of course, that's after they did something so stupid it defies description that got their kid eaten.

Word

**RealSNR** · 11-05-2012, 10:05 PM

Life's a bichon

**kysirsoze** · 11-05-2012, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaid

Did I say to kill all 11 dogs? There's a dog next to the kid's mauled body. Do they know for sure if the kids alive or not yet? Kill it if it won't move so you have a chance to save the kid.

All he said was it was a shame they had to kill the dog. He didn't say he wouldn't kill the dog to save the kid. Take the righteous anger down a few, bud.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

Only on CP can you find people with first hand knowledge of the rare endangered painted dog.

**RealSNR** · 11-05-2012, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorter

"Fido"n't think you should be laughing in a thread like this

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

"Fido"n't think you should be laughing in a thread like this

That parent is going to have a pretty ruff life after this

**kysirsoze** · 11-05-2012, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

That's what wild predators do.

Wanna know what humans do? They shoot wild predators that eat their kids.

So a human captures and enslaves a wild dog. Another human decides to put it with a bunch of other slave dogs in an open display so people can see it. (The entire value of this display being that it is, in fact, a wild dog) A PHENOMENALLY STUPID human drops her kid in with the dogs. They do what they are programmed by years of evolution to do, and it gets killed. That's cool? Don't get me wrong, I'd kill it in an instant if I thought there was any chance of saving that kid, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a shame the dog died. Doesn't compare to the tragedy of the kid's death of course, but it still sucks. Also, I don't know what their plans are, but I hope none of the other offending dogs are killed for this.

BTW, I agree with another poster that investigation should be made to determine if this mother is actually this stupid or if this was somehow intentional. It seems crazy, but I don't know if it's any crazier than this level of idiocy.

11-05-2012, 09:18 AM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3914454	2-year-old mauled to death by wild dogs after falling into Pittsburgh Zoo exhibit Wow...horrible. RIP A 2-year-old boy was mauled to death today after falling into the African painted dog exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. 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. The incident occurred at 11:48 a.m. at the Highland Park complex, according to an emergency dispatch supervisor. The zoo was shut down within a half-hour of the incident and will remain closed indefinitely. Zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said at a news conference shortly after the incident that the child fell over the wooden railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display. A zoo spokeswoman and police said the wooden railing is 4 feet in height and the lower mesh barrier is 11 feet 4 inches above the open exhibit space. Lt. Kraus said zoo personnel responded within minutes. The first personnel on scene were able to lure seven of the dogs away from the victim and into a secure and separated area. A second set of personnel began "throwing objects and some other techniques that they use" to secure three more dogs. He said the final dog, which was acting very aggressively toward the victim and zoo personnel, was shot multiple times by two Pittsburgh police officers and died. Lt. Kraus said none of the people who observed the child fall into the enclosure made an attempt to go after him. The news release from zoo officials noted that keepers attempted to enter the yard but were unable to reach the child. One ineffective technique used by zoo personnel to lure the animals away from the child was to fire "dummy tranquilizer rounds," Lt. Kraus said. Information released from the zoo indicated that "unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding." The child was pronounced dead at the scene 12 p.m. The incident is under investigation by police and the zoo. Lt. Kraus said it would be inappropriate to speculate on potential charges at this time and the bureau will continue to investigate to determine if anything could have been prevented. Police said the boy and his mother are from Pleasant Hills and were visiting the zoo with relatives, an adult and another child, at the time of the incident. Ms. Cinti described a horrifying scene that lasted a little more than 5 minutes but seemed like hours. "We were on our way to the polar bear exhibit when we heard the most horrible piercing screams. ... Someone was begging for help, asking someone to do something," she said. The couple ran back in the direction they came from, passing the bear exhibits. The screams continued. As they reached the painted dog exhibit, she saw a small crowd of distressed onlookers. "One woman with a baby in the stroller was screaming that someone needed to do something," Ms. Cinti said. She said she could see the little boy's apparently lifeless body lying on the hill inside the exhibit. "There were three dogs: one at his head, one on the left side of his neck and another one down by his leg. ... A [zoo employee] got there and hopped over a fence with a rake and he was banging ... trying to distract the dogs but they wouldn't move," she said. Ms. Cinti, a student at Community College of Allegheny County, tracked the time frame with her cell phone, saying she made a call at 11:49 a.m. when she and her boyfriend first headed toward the commotion. She said her cell phone shows that the call was ended five minutes and five seconds later, when a half-dozen zoo employees arrived and dispersed the crowd. Bart DePasquale, who was at the zoo today with his two children for a birthday party, was near the tiger exhibit when he heard screams coming from the direction of the African painted dogs exhibit. "People were yelling 'Get away,' and 'Stay away,' and it wasn't just one person, it was an entire group of people," said Mr. DePasquale, 29, of Fox Chapel. "The screams sounded heavily distressed and the people were using profanity. They were shouting to zoo employees." Mr. DePasquale and Ms. Cinti said they were told to go inside the nearest buildings where they were kept there for about a half hour. "We were locked down in the building and told to stay inside. ... We thought it was a problem with one of the animals that got loose. Then we were told it was an incident with the wild dogs and that a child had been hurt." When patrons were told the zoo was closed and they needed to leave, Mr. DePasquale said, "On the way out, I saw a mother who was distressed and crying and other people who couldn't even talk about it. ... People and anyone who had been close were almost in tears, were walking out glassy-eyed. That's when multiple people told me the dogs attacked a young child." Ms. Baker said the zoo initially declared a "code blue," meaning an accident involving a human had occurred. That was followed with a "code red," meaning that there was a serious human emergency. Ms. Baker said no decision has been made about the future of the exhibit. The African painted dog exhibit debuted after the October 2009 birth of the pups. A surrogate mutt was drafted into service for the nine pups after their natural mother died of a ruptured uterus. In the spring of this year, nine of the 11 painted dogs escaped a section of their enclosure causing a brief shutdown of the zoo. Ms. Baker said at that time on May 5 that the dogs got into a 1.5-acre "backup yard" not visible to the public, but the dogs were not out of their exhibit. African painted dogs are an endangered species. In September, the zoo announced that it had again been accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums after a review of its animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety. AZA is a nonprofit organization with a team of professionals that inspect and review each zoo or aquarium seeking accreditation. Currently 224 facilities have been recognized and approved by the organization, including eight in Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh zoo has been recognized by AZA since 1986.The accreditation commission evaluates every zoo and aquarium to determine if they meet accepted standards for safety policies and procedures, security, physical facilities, animal management and care, health and nutrition, veterinary programs, involvement in conservation and research and education programs. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...#ixzz2BMUJWMyp
Posts: 66,914

11-05-2012, 10:01 PM	#248
jspchief BAMF Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Your Face Casino cash: $9998710	Only on CP can you find people with first hand knowledge of the rare endangered painted dog. __________________ Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.
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