Giraffe Grabs Toddler from Truck During Wildlife Tour, Then Drops Her Into Mom’s Arms – See the Video
A two-year-old girl in Texas experienced a shocking encounter at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose on June 1, when a giraffe unexpectedly lifted her into the air.
Paisley Toten was visiting the wildlife center with her parents, Jason Toten and Sierra Robert, when the incident occurred. According to a post on Robert’s Facebook page, the family was driving along a visitor path where animals roam freely and can be fed by guests. At that time, visitors were allowed to ride in the bed of a truck as long as an adult was present and everyone was safely inside the vehicle.
The visit took a dramatic turn when a giraffe grabbed Paisley by her shirt collar, lifting her from the bed of her parents’ pickup truck. Another family nearby captured the incident on video.
“My daughter was recording a giraffe eating out of people’s hands and dipping its head in sunroofs,” Lindsay Merrirmen, who filmed the footage, told Storyful. “We were three cars behind a red truck and saw the giraffe accidentally grab a little girl’s shirt along with the food and lift her from the bed of the truck.”
Jason Toten told CBS affiliate KWTX-TV that his family had stopped to feed the giraffes when he turned around and saw the animal grab his daughter. “Paisley was holding the bag, and the giraffe went to go get the bag, not her, but it ended up getting her shirt too and picked her up,” he explained. “As soon as she went up, her mom yelled, ‘Hey!’ and the giraffe let go.”
Despite the alarming incident, Paisley was unharmed and fell safely into her mother’s arms. "She wasn’t even scared," Jason said, though he admitted, "My heart stopped. It scared the hell out of me."
Afterward, the family treated Paisley to a toy giraffe from the gift shop. They plan to return to the park in the future, despite the scare.
In response to the incident, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center released a statement emphasizing their commitment to guest and animal safety. "The safety of our guests and animals is always of utmost importance to us. Although an incident like this has never occurred here previously, we are taking immediate action to make sure it won't happen again," the statement read. "Effective immediately, Fossil Rim will no longer be allowing guests to ride through the park in truck beds."
The center assured visitors that they offer a variety of guided experiences to continue providing memorable and safe animal encounters while supporting their mission to save threatened and endangered species.
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