GLEN ROSE, Texas – It was quite a scary moment for one family during a recent visit to a Texas drive-thru safari.
According to the Toten family, they were driving through the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose on June 1 when they decided to stop and feed the giraffes.
The Toten’s 2-year-old daughter, Paisley, and her mother were in the bed of their pickup when a giraffe lifted the toddler into the air.
“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,” said Jason Toten, Paisley’s father, in an interview with KWTX.
Luckily, Paisley wasn’t lifted too high before the giraffe dropped her into her mother’s arms.
“As soon as she went up, her mom yelled, ‘Hey!’ and the giraffe let go,” Toten said. “My heart stopped, my stomach dropped … it scared me.”
Following the scary incident, which was caught on video by a car behind them, they went to a gift shop and got Paisley a toy giraffe because “she deserved it.”
Despite what happened, the family said they plan on returning to the park in the future.
According to the wildlife center, visitors are allowed to ride in the bed of a pickup if an adult is riding in the back with them and everyone is safely inside the vehicle.
Visitors are also allowed to feed the animals at the park, where exotic and endangered animals roam free.