Official: 3-year-old dies after fall, mauling at Pa. zoo

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Officials say a boy died after falling into an exhibit at the Pittsburgh zoo and being mauled by African painted dogs.

Tracy Gray of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium says it's not clear whether the boy died from the fall or the attack about 11:45 a.m. Sunday.

Zoo president and CEO Barbara Baker says the boy, who was about 3, fell about 14 feet. She says there were 11 dogs in the enclosure and some attacked him.

The zoo says the dogs are about as big as medium-sized domestic dogs, 2 to 2 1/2 feet high and 37 to 80 pounds. They are considered endangered.

In May, some of the dogs escaped into a part of the exhibit that's usually closed. The zoo was on lockdown for about an hour as a precaution.