PITTSBURGH (AP) – A 2-year-old boy visiting the Pittsburgh zoo was killed Sunday morning when he fell off a railing that his mother had put him on top of to view a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the child and mauled him, police said.

It was not clear whether the boy died from the fall into the wild dog exhibit area or from the attack, said Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

“It was very horrific,” said Lt. Kevin Kraus of the Pittsburgh police, who added that the dogs attacked “immediately” after the boy fell at about 11:45 a.m. Zoo officials at first estimated the boy fell 14 feet, but police said it was 11. It was not clear which is correct.