Wild dogs maul boy to death after fall from railing at Pittsburgh zoo
Two-year-old tumbles several metres into pack's enclosure after his mother hoists him on to a railing for a better look
Like many young visitors to the zoo, the boy may simply have wanted a better look. But his mother's decision to hoist the two-year-old onto the railing surrounding the exhibit of wild dogs turned out to be a fatal one.
The boy was killed on Sunday at the Pittsburgh zoo when he fell off the railing and the pack of African painted dogs pounced and mauled him to death, police said.
It was not clear whether the boy died from the fall or from the attack, the president of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Barbara Baker, said.
"It was very horrific," said police officer Kevin Kraus, who added that the dogs attacked "immediately" after the boy fell at about 11.45am. Zoo officials at first estimated the boy fell about 4.3 metres, but police said the drop was 3.35 metres. It was not clear which is correct.
"The mother picked the child up, actually in a standing position lifted him up, and put him on the railing. Almost immediately after that he lost his balance," Kraus said.
When the boy fell, other visitors immediately told staff members, who responded along with Pittsburgh police. Zookeepers called off some of the dogs, and seven of them immediately went to a back building. Three more eventually were drawn away from the child, but the last dog was aggressive and police had to shoot the animal, officials said.
The zoo was immediately closed; it was not clear when it would reopen, authorities said.