'The screams just kept coming and coming': Boy, 2, is mauled to death by African wild dogs after mother dangled him over the railings at Pittsburgh Zoo

A two-year-old boy has been mauled to death by a pack of ravenous African wild dogs when he fell off a railing his mother put him on to view the animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Desperate rescue attempts by zookeepers and armed police officers could not deter the 11 aggressive beasts as they savagely attacked the child, from Pleasant Hills, Pittsburgh, on Sunday morning.  Zookeepers fired darts and a police officer opened fire, killing one of the African painted dogs, an endangered animal, but rescuers still could not reach the boy in time.

Deadly hunters: The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium has housed a pack of 11 African Painted dogs, one of which is seen here in 2009, for several years

Emergency: Now closed, the Pittsburgh Zoo's entrance is seen after the young boy was killed after falling into the exhibit around noon

Tragedy: The boy fell over a railing at the African painted dog exhibit

The Pittsburg Post-Gazette reports that the boy fell over a railing and off a mesh barrier where the dogs were on display about 11.45am on Sunday. His horrified mother, 34, who had taken him to zoo, watched as the dogs attacked the boy.  Police don't know whether the boy died from the 11-foot fall or from the attack. Lt. Kevin Kraus of the Pittsburgh police described the accident as 'horrific.' 'Unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding to zookeepers' efforts to control them,' the zoo said in a statement.  Zookeepers quickly drove off seven of the dogs, which are slightly smaller than Labrador retrievers, but the others could not be stopped. Employees pounded on the railings of their pen and shouted at the animals in an effort to deter them. A flurry of darts also did not drive them back.

 

Lock-dock: The zoo immediately closed and patrons were hurried inside buildings during the attack

Deadly: The dogs, which are smaller than Labrador retrievers, can be dangerous on their own by are deadly killers when hunting in packs

What went wrong? Both the zoo and police are investigating the death

When Pittsburgh police intervened, one especially aggressive dog refused to back down and stop attacking the boy. It was shot dead by an officer. Zoo officials said there is a mesh barrier beyond the railing, but Lt Kraus said it was designed to catch small objects such as cameras, and not humans. Investigators have not determined the exact cause of death, he said.  The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said the boy’s name would not be released until later today.

The boy and his mother were visiting the park with relatives - an adult and another child - at the time of the attack. Police said the boy's father arrived soon after the accident and both parents are currently being medicated to deal with the shock. The zoo was closed, and it was not clear when it would be reopen, authorities said. 'The screams just kept coming and coming: "Someone help. Someone has to do something,''' witness Angela Cinti, 20, who was visiting the zoowith her boyfriend told the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette. 'We were on our way to the polar bear exhibit when we heard the most horrible piercing screams,' Ms Ciniti recalled. 'Someone was begging for help, asking someone to do something.' Guests recounted being hurried into the nearest building for safety, waiting for a half an hour according to Ms Cinit. 'We were locked down in the building and told to stay inside,' Ms Cinit told the paper. '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.'

 

Uncertainty: A security guard closes the gate to the park though it's not yet clear whether he died from the fall or the attack

Questions to ask: In an emotional news conference, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium President and CEO Barbara Baker is seen after taking questions on the boy's horrific death

Reaction: The boy was pronounced dead at the scene as guests were hurried into the nearest buildings as a safety precaution, ushered under zoo officials like Ms Baker, pictured

In May, 200 patrons were rushed inside buildings and the zoo was put on lock-down when nine of the dogs sneaked out of the exhibit and found its way into a secondary holding pen. Alone, the dogs, which weigh up to 80 pounds, can be formidable, but in packs they are vicious -- capable of hunting and killing prey many times their size.  They have been known to kill wildebeest and zebras, though they usually pursue less dangerous prey. The dogs, which are endangered, are among the most deadly predators of the Serengeti Plain. Their hunts end in a kill 80 per cent of the time. Lions have a success rate of just 30 per cent.

 Source: Daily Mail UK 

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