The parents of a 2-year-old boy who was fatally mauled after falling into a wild African dogs exhibit last fall have sued the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, claiming officials had ample warning that parents routinely lifted children onto a rail overlooking the exhibit so they could see better.
The lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of Jason and Elizabeth Derkosh seeks unspecified damages in the Nov. 4 death of their son, Maddox. The boy fell from a wooden railing after his mother lifted him up to get a better look at the painted dogs.
According to the lawsuit, other zoos across the country have more and better safeguards in place to keep children safe while viewing the dogs.
A zoo spokeswoman did not immediately comment on a statement released by the family's attorney and a copy of the lawsuit.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
