Pittsburgh zoo reaches settlement with USDA over child mauled to death by wild dogs
2/13/2014PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium will pay the U.S. Department of Agriculture $4,550 as part of a settlement over an investigation into the death of a 2-year-old boy who was fatally mauled when he fell into an exhibit of wild African dogs.
The zoo said Thursday the settlement isn’t an admission of liability. It did not release any other details.
The settlement is not connected to the lawsuit filed by the boy’s parents. Jason and Elizabeth Derkosh are seeking unspecified damages in the Nov. 2012 death of their son, Maddox. The boy fell over a wooden railing after his mother lifted him up to get a better look at the dogs.
The zoo has moved the dogs to other zoos and now houses cheetahs in the exhibit.