A toddler was mauled to death today after falling into the African painted dog exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo.
The boy, who was around 3 years old, fell 14 feet over a railing and into the exhibit, said Barbara Baker, director of the Pittsburgh Zoo.
“Visitors alerted the staff immediately and they went into emergency response mode,” she said.
Zoo officials tried firing darts to scare the dogs away from the child, but the animals, which are pack hunters, did not immediately respond.
The dogs were eventually moved from the exhibit, with the exception of one, which had to be shot by a police officer after it continued to “be aggressive” to the boy, Baker said.
“Unfortunately by the time EMTs were able to get to him, the boy had passed away,” Baker said.