Support NeoGAF

[Demoncarnotaur]

Holy shit. Thanks for that. Wow. Why put a mesh up for all the other railings instead of that one? weird.

The other ones also have mesh as they are closer to the ground level and would present an opportunity for guests to get too close to the dogs. Most elevated zoo exhibits have an open balcony approach similar to this.

They should have used bullets. Kill 4 dogs, you still have 7 left. Might have saved the child.

You can't blame the animal for doing what an animal does. But I wouldn't hesitate to kill an endangered animal to save a child under the age of 12.

Or they may have shot the child by accident.. Also, by the time weapons were on the scene the child was probably long dead, but Im sure a timeline will come out eventually. Either way, what happened is awful.

 

[CrankyJay]

Ugh, imagine being the father and getting that phone call...how does that conversation go? How do you trust your wife ever again with the other kids?

 

[TheNatural]

How do you stand a 3 year old child up on a railing - of ANYTHING. Much less a zoo exhibit which is extremely dangerous. The mtoher should be charged with something, that's fucking ridiculous. It's no one else's fault except hers that her son died.

 

[akira28]

Or they may have shot the child by accident.. Also, by the time weapons were on the scene the child was probably long dead, but Im sure a timeline will come out eventually. Either way, what happened is awful.

Shit, I'll take the chance of hitting the kid versus a 100% chance of it gettin et by a dag.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Shit, I'll take the chance of hitting the kid versus a 100% chance of it gettin et by a dag.

much easier to grab a stick or something big nearby and swing it at the dogs. quicker too.

 

[Hari Seldon]

According to the local news here in Pittsburgh, an eye witness reported that a man did try to climb down, but as soon as he swung over the ledge and looked down, it was over.

Edit: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/11/05/zoo-tragedy-witness-it-was-a-gruesome-sight/

 

[CornBurrito]

According to the local news here in Pittsburgh, an eye witness reported that a man did try to climb down, but as soon as he swung over the ledge and looked down, it was over.

Edit: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/11/05/zoo-tragedy-witness-it-was-a-gruesome-sight/

The kid probably died from the fall.

 

[Good Job Bob]

The kid probably died from the fall.

No, the CEO of the Zoo outright said the child did not die from the fall and was indeed mauled to death by the dogs.

 

[Hari Seldon]

No, the CEO of the Zoo outright said the child did not die from the fall and was indeed mauled to death by the dogs.

The Coroner said the same:

Baker said the zoo has spoken with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, who said the child did not die as a result of the initial fall.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012...ffer-new-details-after-childs-tragic-death-2/

 

[BigJonsson]

Geeze, that mother should have obeyed common sense

 

[Boss Doggie]

A lot of people forgot that the dog was shot when the kid is already dead. Kinda moot point in killing the animal when the victim is dead.

 

[blitzcloud]

I wonder for example, since there's a risk of stuff like this happening, why don't they have measures for blue&red codes for dropping flares or some sort of light fireworks effect that would scare the dogs away for sure. I mean, have some fireworks doing noises and lights, or flares with the smoke trail and they'll fear it and not concentrate.

That's what security measures mean. expect the unexpected. a gap that any shape of human being can pass through is a bad security measure.

But I don't mean that the entire irresponsibility is on the zoo at all.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

No, the CEO of the Zoo outright said the child did not die from the fall and was indeed mauled to death by the dogs.

man what a horrible way to die

 

[crazy monkey]

A lot of people forgot that the dog was shot when the kid is already dead. Kinda moot point in killing the animal when the victim is dead.

Do you want the dog to continue eating him or probably harming another human who is there ?

 

[Steelrain]

A lot of people forgot that the dog was shot when the kid is already dead. Kinda moot point in killing the animal when the victim is dead.

Not really, since its acting aggressive as fuck and it just mauled a kid.

 

[shira]

Do you want the dog to continue eating him or probably harming another human who is there ?

Once they go manflesh they can't go back.

 

[CornBurrito]

No, the CEO of the Zoo outright said the child did not die from the fall and was indeed mauled to death by the dogs.

Oh....

Do you want the dog to continue eating him or probably harming another human who is there ?

How would the dogs "probably" harm another human?

 

[Emerson]

A lot of people forgot that the dog was shot when the kid is already dead. Kinda moot point in killing the animal when the victim is dead.

The animal was killed by a police officer because it was acting aggressively. They managed to pacify the other 10 dogs without hurting them. This one was obviously a continuing danger to human life. The cops didn't just run in there guns blazing.

 

[jett]

Pittsburgh police Major Crimes Lt. Kevin Kraus said the boy's 34-year-old mother placed the child in a standing position on a wooden railing overlooking the enclosure.

You fucking stupid woman.

 

[blitzcloud]

The animal was killed by a police officer because it was acting aggressively. They managed to pacify the other 10 dogs without hurting them. This one was obviously a continuing danger to human life. The cops didn't just run in there guns blazing.

Maybe he was the alpha male?

 

[Emerson]

Maybe he was the alpha male?

Maybe. Not really relevant either way though. If he posed an acute danger to the officers trying to recover the child then they did what needed to be done.

 

[crazy monkey]

Oh....





How would the dogs "probably" harm another human?

it is not your pet dog. It did harm another human. It killed a child.

 

[Jack Scofield]

Not really, since its acting aggressive as fuck and it just mauled a kid.

It's a wild animal. It's acting like a wild animal.

 

[Boss Doggie]

The animal was killed by a police officer because it was acting aggressively. They managed to pacify the other 10 dogs without hurting them. This one was obviously a continuing danger to human life. The cops didn't just run in there guns blazing.

Now this explanation I guess I can agree.

 

[superdeluxe]

The kid probably died from the fall.

The fall didn't kill him, he was mauled to death. Only way the kid had a shot was if someone at the scene had a gun and started firing

 

[blitzcloud]

Maybe. Not really relevant either way though. If he posed an acute danger to the officers trying to recover the child then they did what needed to be done.

Yes, I understand that much aswell. But i'm guessing that one had the leadership of the group and that's why he could show no signs of retreat or whatever. We gotta understand animals are very limited by primitive rules imposed in their genes.

 

[CornBurrito]

it is not your pet dog. It did harm another human. It killed a child.

Then you did not use the word "another" in your initial sentence properly.

The dog killed a child, and you said it could have harmed another person if not killed on the spot. I'm asking who else (other than the child) would have been harmed by the dog. Did anyone else enter the exhibit without the means to defend themselves?

 

[Emerson]

Yes, I understand that much aswell. But i'm guessing that one had the leadership of the group and that's why he could show no signs of retreat or whatever. We gotta understand animals are very limited by primitive rules imposed in their genes.

Yeah that's all fair enough. I do feel bad for the animal. I understand it's a wild animal and I don't really blame it for its behavior. I also understand it's a severely endangered species and that we need to take efforts to conserve those.

But I always get a little miffed when something like this happens and people freak out about the animal getting killed. It's like people really want to believe the cops just couldn't wait to take out an animal. This being a severely endangered species they were undoubtedly told beforehand to use deadly force as a last resort only. There's so many advocacy groups it's not worth it for cops to mess around with stuff like this. And the cop, who was probably protecting his/her own life or that of a colleague, is probably getting shit for doing so now.

Then you did not use the word "another" in your initial sentence properly.

The dog killed a child, and you said it could have harmed another person if not killed on the spot. I'm asking who else (other than the child) would have been harmed by the dog. Did anyone else enter the exhibit without the means to defend themselves?

What are you talking about? The police were in danger. Yes, they had the means to defend themselves, and that's why the animal is dead.

 

[I H8 Memes]

it is not your pet dog. It did harm another human. It killed a child.

Most of the animals at a zoo would kill a human without provocation.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

At least it wasnt a chimp exhibit.

 

[echoshifting]

Horrible design. Horrible parent. Dumb and dumber.

So tragic....what a terrible way to go. Hopefully he was too young or concussed to fully understand what was happening...god it's awful to think about. I am going to forget I saw this.

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Also fuck the cops for killing the dog, I'll take an endangered animal over a little kid with obviously poor genes any day.

Seriously? WTF

 

[Extra Sauce]

Also fuck the cops for killing the dog, I'll take an endangered animal over a little kid with obviously poor genes any day.

This made me lol when I read it in a quote. I was hoping it was sarcasm, but reading the original post I'm not sure.

Oh well.

edit: Reading Luca's subsequent posts he was clearly not joking. I'll be honest, I still find the quote hilarious, if only because the statement could not possibly be more absurd.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Horrible design. Horrible parent. Dumb and dumber.

So tragic....what a terrible way to go. Hopefully he was too young or concussed to fully understand what was happening...god it's awful to think about. I am going to forget I saw this.

From what I read the design is pretty fine... as long as no one would try to put someone up at the railing.

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

Reading last night that the zookeeper that came out with the tranquilizer darts was on crutches is super depressing and upsetting.

 

[Slayer-33]

At least it wasnt a chimp exhibit.

I don't know if chimps would have attacked a baby tbh.. It would be horrific either way though but probably more traumatic if you saw chimps pulling limbs apart and shit I don't know...

Fucking terrible situation

Also fuck the cops for killing the dog, I'll take an endangered animal over a little kid with obviously poor genes any day.

Christ mighty what the fuck lol..

 

[CREMSteve]

Zoo officials say they had the right people and it was not possible to save the boy. It happened too fast. But this witness says the boy was still alive after he fell.

Witness: “His arms were up over his head. His arms were up the way you would if you were… Thats the way I remember it.”

Marty Griffin: “Trying to protect himself?”

Witness: “Yes.”

 

[andycapps]

actually I would hope you wouldn't put your daughter over the railing so you wouldn't have to make the choice of jumping in.

Of course I wouldn't do that, but if she did fall in an animal exhibit by accident I would have gone in there after her. I'd lower myself down like any smart person by the railing and then drop the remaining 6-10 feet. That's not anything that would have killed me.

 

[Marleyman]

Damn; that is horrendous. The couple involved live very close to me so I have been trying to find out a bit more about them; no such luck as of yet.

 

[LuCkymoON]

Of course I wouldn't do that, but if she did fall in an animal exhibit by accident I would have gone in there after her. I'd lower myself down like any smart person by the railing and then drop the remaining 6-10 feet. That's not anything that would have killed me.

A smart person wouldn't willingly become food for a wild animal!

 

[andycapps]

A smart person wouldn't willingly become food for a wild animal!

We're not talking about lions, we're talking about some smallish dogs that are very dangerous in packs, no doubt. I'm not saying I'd be successful, but I'd rather get eaten myself too than see my daughter get eaten in front of me.

 

[n64coder]

It's sad that a child died because of the mother's neglect. Hopefully she accepts her responsibility and does not try to sue the zoo for money. It bothers me that people always try to blame others for things they brought onto themselves.

 

[tmarques]

Hopefully she accepts her responsibility and does not try to sue the zoo for money.

Good luck with that.

 

[neorej]

It's a wild animal. It's acting like a wild animal.

And that's why it has to be killed. Animals should behave civilized, like us.

Spoiler

J/K, we are not civilized