2 year old killed at zoo

[tbarron]

Once upon a time, humans lived in a dangerous environment, where the least misstep or lapse of attention could get you killed. So humans grew up (the ones who survived to grow up, anyway) watchful and careful. And they thought about their situation and figured out ways to push the dangerous environment back and isolate and protect themselves from it.

So today, we live is a relatively safe, in many ways, almost danger-free world. We grow up care free, with little pressure or incentive to be watchful, to learn how to stay safe, to notice the smell of a predator on the breeze. And most of the time, it's okay, because we stay in that safe, danger-free world. We're protected.

Every so often, though, reality breaks through and touches us. A tornado destroys a town. A school shooting happens nearby. An airplane crashes. A woman accidentally drops her baby into a cage full of wild dogs. A young man climbs into a tiger enclosure because he wants "to be one with the tiger" and is badly injured.

Hopefully, those so touched learn to be more careful next time. May we all learn to be watchful and careful from the mistakes we read about, rather than having to learn such lessons firsthand.

[Mr A]

Zoo says mother is to blame:

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/court-doc ... -to/nZtBd/

[Chris OConnor]

Of course the zoo says that. In every lawsuit each side blames the other. This doesn't mean the mother is 100% at fault. They should assign a percentage of negligence to both sides. I'd say the mother is 75% to blame and the zoo 25%.

Does anyone know if the zoo has raised the wall in question since this incident took place?

[Olivia22]

In this case it was the mothers fault IMO.

Chris, they gave the wild dogs to other zoos and they now have cheetahs in the exhibit.

[Chris OConnor]

Yes, because Cheetahs wouldn't rip someone to shreds who fell into their enclosure. LOL

I agree this was the mom's fault. I'm just feeling her sadness and pain as I have a 2 year old little boy and I cannot fathom how it would be to lose him.

[Olivia22]

I do feel for her. I can't imagine how painful it would be to lose a child.

[Chris OConnor]

To lose a child AND know that your stupid decision is the cause of that loss.

[giselle]

This is a sad story and certainly one that raises the question of parental responsibility, especially for young, defenseless children. Pretty stupid and reckless (possibly even criminal) to put your 2 year old child on a fence above a pit of wild dogs.

Reminds me of another incident here in Canada this summer where 2 boys were killed by a 17 foot African Rock Python. The story got a lot of media coverage outside Canada as well. The boys were sleeping in an upstairs apartment when the snake, which had escaped its enclosure via a ventilation shaft, broke through the ceiling into their room and killed them. The downstairs is a pet store or privately owned zoo and there were a lot of questions about the legality of the snake on the premises. From the pictures in the media it looks like a sketchy place from the outside so the standard of containment inside may have been lacking. One report suggested that the snake escaped through an opening into the ventilation system because there was no cover over it. The boys were staying at a friends place and there were questions about why the adult who was caring for the young boys did not hear any commotion and so had no chance to save the boys.

What I have not seen in the media coverage is any statement by the parents. Some relatives commented about how they were such great boys and also some neighbours commented. But it was the parents who permitted their boys to stay there overnight and I saw no criticism of the parents. I don't think the 'stupid factor' is prevalent in this case, but I feel that parents are responsible for making good decisions about what is safe and what is not. Personally I think letting your kids stay overnight right upstairs from some sketchy zoo with pythons and other potentially dangerous animals is irresponsible.