A giraffe snatched a child from a car during a safari (4 photos + 1 video)

Jason Toten, his wife Sierra Robert and their daughter went to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose. A family from Texas was expecting something new, but their safari nearly ended in tragedy when a girl was grabbed by a giraffe.





Similar to a petting zoo, Fossil Rim allows visitors to feed some of the animals.

The couple and their daughter Paisley were admiring the animals when a giraffe approached the pickup truck, which the baby especially liked.



The parents offered to hand-feed the baby, but a moment later he lifted the two-year-old girl into the air.

Sierra reacted quickly and snatched Paisley.

“I saw a giraffe... and then he picked up my daughter,” says Jason. “My heart stopped, I was scared to death.”





The animal realized its mistake and let the girl go. Paisley didn't even have time to feel fear.

Jason added: "We laughed about the situation when we realized everyone was safe and sound."

According to the father, everything happened completely by accident: the spotted one intended to snatch the bag of food from Paisley’s hands, which she did not want to let go.

The parents took their daughter to the gift shop, where she chose gifts.

“All she wanted was a stuffed giraffe and a giraffe T-shirt,” the father said. “We ended up buying her both.”



Giraffes, the world's tallest mammals, are not usually aggressive. However, females can become hostile when protecting their young.

Following the incident, Fossil Rim management announced a new policy that would prohibit guests from riding in the back of a pickup truck.