Jonathan Vankin
Opposing Views
Thu, 12 Sep 2013 21:04 CDT

The Pittsburgh Zoo where a two-year-old toddler was torn apart last Nov. 4 when his mother accidentally dropped him into a pit of wild dogs is saying the boy's death was the mother's fault and that the zoo did nothing wrong.

Maddox Derkosh was killed when his mother, Elizabeth Derkosh, lifted him up over a railing designed to keep zoo patrons from stumbling into an exhibit of Lycaon pictus (the so-called "Painted Dogs").

Because the boy had poor vision, she raised him over the four-foot high railing where he could see the dogs better. But she lost her grip on the child. Maddox slipped out her hands and over the rail, fell 14 feet, bounced off the protective netting over the African dog exhibit and into the pit.

Eleven of the dogs descended on the toddler, mauling him to death.

"The mom picks up the child, has the child by the waist," explained Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala last year, when he announced that no criminal charges would be filed against Elizabeth Derkosh. "In almost one motion as the child is elevated the child moves forward with both hands and his face. Mom loses control of him."

One of the animals was shot during the attack as workers tried to save Maddox. The remainder of the dogs have since been shipped to other zoos and the exhibit at Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is closed.

The boy's parents sued the zoo, claiming wrongful death. They allege that the plexiglass around the exhibit was dirty, making it difficult to see the animals, that the viewing area was not properly protected and that the zoo's employees did not have the correct tranquilizer darts that might have stopped the attack, though the boy is reported to have died within seconds.

But the zoo not only denied all of the Derkosh's allegations, its lawyers fired back at the grieving mother, saying she "blatantly ignored" a posted warning not to lift children above the railing. She "knew or should have known he could fall into the exhibit," but lifted him up anyway while "failing to maintain a proper grasp" on her son, the zoo's attorney charges.

The lawyer, Dennis St. J. Mulvihill, also wrote that the railing met all legal safety codes. It was constructed at a 45 degree angle, so children -- or adults -- could not stand on it.

The family's lawyer expressed outrage at the zoo's allegations, which legal experts say are a routine part of any such lawsuit.

"I think their attack on the Derkosh family is awful," said Derkosh lawyer Robert Mongeluzzi.


frivolous lawsuit... the zoo is right, the mom is an idiot...


poor kid...

I'm sorry to hear this happened, but it is the mother's fault. How could someone be stupid enough to lift their child over the wall like that?

Did the zoo charge extra for the show?

Hope the dipstick don't have other kids.

then tries to sue the zoo for her stupidity...at least the jury agreed that she's stupid

Wonder how well the cops questioned her to see if it really was an accident?

they have ways of knowing, i guess... maybe she said and did all the right things

You were not there, how do you know? You must be gifted.

Assuming that the OP is accurate, the woman is a complete idiot.

Or Demons controlling her.

I worked for Reid Park Zoo in Tucson and you would not believe the stupidity of the public, there is no doubt in my mind that this story is accurate.

I'm very interested in hearing the outcome of this case. Remember Thanksgiving a couple of years ago when those yayhoos were throwing rocks over the wall into the tiger exhibit and he got out, mauled and killed one of them? The zoo was some how responsible for the death because the walls were not high enough or some crap like that, never mind the fact the idiots were taunting a powerful predator.

There is no personal accountability in this country anymore.

DIdn't know this was going to come complete with a picture of the little boy ...Things like this are made even worse when they are displayed and debated, evaluated and judged by people who haven't got even a fraction of the information needed to assess the mother's or the zoo's negligence...The only thing that deserves discussion is what all Zoo and animal parks can (and should) do to make sure accidents like this one never happen again..If I sound preachy, tough chit...This one made me very sad and I get kinda pizzy when I am sad...

Tell mano to get you a chamber pot for Christmas!!

That's what he got me last year

Its pretty clear what happened so I don't know why there is any debate, she screwed up and did something stupid and now its someone elses fault. Glass for exhibits are never so dirty you cannot see through them, I call ******** on that.

Were you there?

I don't care who's fault it is, when a child dies, it is heartbreaking. Can you imagine being the parent and not being able to do anything to help your child. That is sad.

Exactly Unsure....No matter what, my heart goes out to this woman....