Mahlandt v. Wild Canid Survival & Research Center, Inc.

Facts

On March 23, 1973, Daniel Mahlandt, then 3 years, 10 months, and 8 days old, was sent by his mother to a neighbor’s home on an adjoining street to get his older brother, Donald. Sophie was a bitch wolf, 11 months and 28 days old, who had been kept at the state zoo, until she was given to the Wild Canid Survival and Research Center, Inc. Daniel was attacked by Sophie. Later that day, Mr. Poos found Mr. Sexton at the Tyson Research Center and told him what had happened. The court denied plaintiff’s offer to prove that Mr. Poos told Mr. Sexton, that, Sophie had bit a child. A meeting of the Directors of the Wild Canid Survival and Research Center, Inc., was held but Mr. Poos was not present at that meeting. There was a great deal of discussion about the legal aspects of the incident of Sophie biting the child but the court again denied the offer of the minutes of the meeting. The expert as to the behavior of wolves opined that the larcerations on Daniel’s body were not wolf bits or wounds caused by wolf claws. The jury brought a verdict for the defense.