(KCEN) -- A two-year-old boy was killed Sunday at the Pittsburgh Zoo when he fell into an African painted dogs exhibit.
The child from Pleasant Hills was with his mother, an aunt and cousin when the accident happened .
Just before noon they were visiting the African painted dogs exhibit and police say the boy's 34-year-old mother stood him on the railing.
He lost his balance and fell down off the railing into the dog pit.
In a devastating instant, the child was mauled to death as his mother watched helplessly from above.
Desperate attempts to get the dogs off of him were futile.
Pittsburgh Zoo President Barbara Baker said, "The keepers tried everything they could do. They responded immediately."
Zoo keepers secured 10 of the dogs. One had to be shot by Pittsburgh police after even dart guns wouldn't stop it.
The zoo is taking action to prevent the accident from happening again.
