A dramatic video shows a giraffe lifting a toddler out of the family vehicle while they were going through a drive-thru safari.
The incident occurred when the family was visiting Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. The family says they were feeding a giraffe from the bed of their pickup truck when the animal accidentally grabbed their 2-year-old daughter Paisley’s shirt, per Good Morning America.
Videos of the incident were captured by Paisley’s mom Sierra Robert and other bystanders in line at the safari.
Giraffe reaches into a pickup truck and grabs a 2 year old at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas
pic.twitter.com/azhtgM3n6T— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) June 6, 2024
“By the time I, like, looked back over, she was gone,” Robert told GMA. “It was just really shock, you know, adrenaline sets in.”
Paisley’s father Jason Toten also saw what happened from the driver’s seat. He said he believes the whole thing was an accident as the animal was just trying to get the food being offered, which was allowed by the venue.
“Paisley was holding the bag and the giraffe went to go get the bag, not get her, but ended up getting her shirt too and picking her up,” the father told KWTX. “My heart stopped, my stomach dropped… it scared me.”
The giraffe released the toddler quickly and she fell into her mother’s arms uninjured, as multiple outlets reported.
Per Fossil Rim Wildlife Center rules, giraffes are the only animals visitors are allowed to feed.
“Only giraffes can be fed by hand. This is for your safety, as animals besides giraffe[s] can bite,” the website says.
Toten said Paisley later got a stuffed giraffe from the gift shop because she “deserved it.”
The incident has prompted the safari to change some of their rules. As of June 6, “guests are no longer permitted to ride in the bed of pickup trucks,” the website says.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center issued a statement to ABC News on Wednesday regarding the incident.
“We were recently made aware of an incident involving one of our giraffes that occurred this past weekend,” the statement said. “The incident was first reported to us on Monday June 3rd. 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.”
