African painted dogs mauled and killed a young boy who fell into their exhibit today at the Pittsburgh Zoo on Sunday.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Sunday reports that the boy, 3, fell into the enclosure at 11:45 a.m., and visitors quickly alerted staff. A zookeeper moved seven of the 11 African painted dogs out of the exhibit, and a Veterinarian Department member shot darts trying to scare away the remaining dogs.
He "fell off an observation deck that's about 14 feet above the exhibit and was killed by the dogs," said Barbara Baker, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium president.
"Our emergency teams and our Pittsburgh police responded immediately, but there wasn't anything that could be done," added Baker.
"Unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding," the zoo said in a statement.
Pittsburgh police Major Crimes Lt. Kevin Kraus said none of the people who observed the child fall into the enclosure made an attempt to go after him. The news release from zoo officials noted that keepers attempted to enter the yard but were unable to reach the child.
African painted dogs are an endangered species native to sub-Saharan Africa and their scientific name, Lycaon pictus, means "painted wolf," according to the National Geographic website.
Also known as Cape hunting dogs, they are long-legged and have irregularly mottled coats with patches of red, black, brown, white and yellow fur.
