A zoo on Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the scene of a sickening sight as a 2-year old boy died after falling into a pit with African wild dogs.
The child whose name isn't being released was at the zoo with his mother when she placed the child on top of the railing of a viewing deck so he could get a closer look at the animals in the pit below, tragically the child fell almost 11 to 14 feet where he was attacked by an 11 strong pack of African wild dogs.
The dogs were mauling the youngster as crowds looked on. According to USAToday the zoo handlers called to the dogs with seven returning immediately with three eventually coming back to the zookeepers. One however was said to be extremely vicious and was eventually shot.
Lt. Kevin Kraus of the Pittsburgh police described the attack that happened on Sunday as "horrific."
Steve Feldman a spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums according to the news outlet said no one he's spoken to can recall any deaths of children at an accredited zoo over the last 40 years or more and that the Pittsburgh Zoo had successfully completed its 5-year review in September meaning it meets or exceeds all safety standards.
Pittsburgh Zoo reported that in May some of the dogs had managed to escaped their enclosure and in to a nearby closed off exhibit area.and in a separate incident in 2007 a tiger at a San Francisco zoo jumped its enclosure to go on to kill a visitor to the zoo.
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