Officials of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium confirmed this afternoon that a little boy was mauled to death Sunday after falling into the African painted dog exhibit, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
The incident occurred at 11:48 a.m. at the Highland Park complex, according to information provided to the paper by an emergency dispatch supervisor.
A Pittsburgh police officer shot and killed one of the 11 dogs in the exhibit, according to the report.
Zoo Director Barbara Baker said the child, who was about 3 years old, reportedly fell over a railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display.
A news release distributed by zoo officials said keepers were immediately able to clear seven of the 11 dogs from the exhibit. Though darts were shot into the exhibit in an effort to scare the dogs away from the child, the news release indicated that "unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding."
Keepers attempted to enter the yard but were unable to reach the child, the release said.
Pittsburgh police officers and keepers attempted to lure the dogs away but one "aggressive" dog was shot and killed by an officer. Ms. Baker said the dog would not move away from the child, the Post-Gazette reported.
The incident is under investigation by police and the zoo.
The facility is shut down until further notice.
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.
The incident occurred at 11:48 a.m. at the Highland Park complex, according to information provided to the paper by an emergency dispatch supervisor.
A Pittsburgh police officer shot and killed one of the 11 dogs in the exhibit, according to the report.
Zoo Director Barbara Baker said the child, who was about 3 years old, reportedly fell over a railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display.
A news release distributed by zoo officials said keepers were immediately able to clear seven of the 11 dogs from the exhibit. Though darts were shot into the exhibit in an effort to scare the dogs away from the child, the news release indicated that "unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding."
Keepers attempted to enter the yard but were unable to reach the child, the release said.
Pittsburgh police officers and keepers attempted to lure the dogs away but one "aggressive" dog was shot and killed by an officer. Ms. Baker said the dog would not move away from the child, the Post-Gazette reported.
The incident is under investigation by police and the zoo.
The facility is shut down until further notice.
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.
