Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium African Wild Dog Exhibit

This news story is freakishly old. The African Wild Dogs have been there, and on exhibit, for over a year - I think two. It's located north of the Giraffe Exhibit near the food area and the exhibit itself is ok quality. Its about 2,000 sq. ft. and has adequate foliage. They also originally had four wild dogs, but when I was there and in the article it only mentions three. I think one died. I'll see if I have a photo of the exhibit and post it.
 
okapikpr said:
The wild dog exhibit should be located in the same pen that formerly housed cheetahs.
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It did formerly house cheetahs, however, there is a second enclosure behind the dogs exhibit that can be seen by the elephant exhibit that did house Pittsburgh's lone cheetah while the dogs were on display. The cheetah has since passed and that second enclosure is used by the dogs as well. The dogs enclosure is very nice and in the summer it can be difficult to see them with all the vegetation.
 
This is awful. Sandy's devestation is still going on in the Northeast, and then this horrific incident happens. My sympathies are with the child's family and friends, and it's even more unsettling for me because a friend of my mother is coping with the tragedy of losing her own son right now.
 
This is clearly a ghastly, awful event.

What isn't clear from the press reports is whether the child was killed by the fall, or by the hunting dogs. If it were the former, while still truly terrible, it would, somehow, be 'better' than if it were the latter.
 
Unbelievable. I don't do everything by the rules with my children, but I would never allow them anywhere near where they could fall into a wild dog enclosure. There has to be a lot of stupidity and negligence by the parents for this to happen.
 
Monty said:
Unbelievable. I don't do everything by the rules with my children, but I would never allow them anywhere near where they could fall into a wild dog enclosure. There has to be a lot of stupidity and negligence by the parents for this to happen.
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Completely agree this is astonishing and the zoo is going to get most of the blame here which is unreal.

Team Tapir
 
This has not been a good year for the zoo with the loss of Moka's baby and the other incident with the dogs causing the zoo to go on lockdown. I am beginning to think that when they build the painted dog area at ICC, the whole pack should go to Fairhope. They can get a new permanent species for the exhibit or use it to hold animals they acquire for the new and upcoming exhibits. Stanley and Susan will need somewhere to live when they tear out the bear grottos. They should renovate the exhibit for them so they can sleep all day on dirt instead of concrete. I was there two weeks ago with my sister and we are still trying to figure out how exactly this happened.
 
Very tragic indeed. The "escape" that happened earlier this year refers to the animals getting from their main enclosure in to their backup holding area. There was no danger and no "escape". But it makes for powerful reading. It's a devastaing thing for all involved. From what I can gather, she had the child on the railing and we all know the rest after. Some say she had the child by the legs, some say he was sitting and slipped off. The railing where this happened is of standard regulation height, if not more. I think it was 42" tall, definitely more than 36".
 
I feel bad for the family of the boy. But seriously putting you kids on railing near a carnivores enclosure is seriously stupid. Kids that age arent always predictable and when a person does the exact opposite of all the signs around the exhibit what do they expect to happen. I cant say if there where signs all over the place at this particular zoo because I've never been but come on there is usually some. What I cant believe is someone was so wreckless with their kids life. He couldnt see the dogs, move to another viewing area, hold him up back from the fence, but dont put him where he could fall in. Thats nuts. Now an innocent child is dead and an endangered animal, if not more down the line depending on what the zoo decides. The dogs did what they are supposed to do too bad people cant do the same. I totally agree with those of you who think the parents should be taking the heat not the zoo. What is the zoo supposed to do build a second idiot fence 10 feet tall to keep their animals safe from the public. Or maybe make fenced tunnels all around the pathways so we cant get out of our cage until we leave the zoo. I say let the zoo off the hook and charge the mom with wreckless endangerment. Common sense is a thing if the past i guess. I always hate when a beautiful endangered species is killed thanks to human stupidity. Thanks for letting me vent.
 
Has anyone got a picture of this exhibit? any pictures I have seen show the public looking at the animals through glass?

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Whatever the intelligence of the parents or guardians who placed the child on the railing, that person will have to live with the mistake for the rest of their lives. They don't need our sniping.
 
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