Family speaks out after giraffe picks up toddler in heart-stopping video
A couple from Texas experienced a shocking incident during their visit to a wildlife center when a giraffe picked up their toddler during a safari drive-thru.
Over the weekend, the family visited Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, where the visitors are allowed to drive themselves through a path to get a closer look at and to feed the wildlife.
Paisley Toten, 2, was sitting at the back of her family's truck with her mom, feeding the giraffe, when the animal grabbed her by the shirt and lifted her into the air.
The moment was caught on camera by Paisley's mom, Sierra Robert, and the visitors in the car behind them.
"By the time I, like, looked back over, she was gone," Robert recalled to "Good Morning America." "It was just really shock, you know, adrenaline sets in."
"My heart just stopped," Jason Toten, Paisley's dad, added.
Paisley's dad, Jason Toten, told ABC News his daughter was eventually released by the giraffe and did not suffer any injuries. When Paisley fell, Robert was able to catch her daughter in her arms.
"Her falling to me, me having to catch her like, it’s all in slow motion," Robert recounted.
According to the rules on the center's website, during the drive-thru, "Only giraffes can be fed by hand. This is for your safety, as animals besides giraffe[s] can bite."
Corbin Maxey, a wildlife expert, told "GMA" the giraffe who picked up Paisley likely is comfortable with human interaction.
"This is a giraffe that's used to eating from visitors. And what happened is a toddler was holding that bag of food really, really close and the giraffe leaned in, something it normally does. And by getting the bag of food, it accidentally grabbed the toddler's shirt," Maxey said.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center issued a statement to ABC News on Wednesday.
"We were recently made aware of an incident involving one of our giraffes that occurred this past weekend," the statement read. "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."
The statement continued, "Effective immediately Fossil Rim will no longer be allowing guests to ride through the park in truck beds. Fossil Rim offers a variety of experiences guided by knowledgeable staff so guests can continue to have up-close and memorable animal encounters, and support our mission to save threatened and endangered species."
The Toten family said they have no ill will toward the wildlife center and plan to return to the park in the future.
"The giraffe was just trying to get some food and it got a little bit more than it bargained for," Jason Toten said.
Two-year-old Paisley is also taking the incident in stride and said she still likes giraffes.
Experts say the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is highly accredited with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and upholds the highest standards but remind the public to do their research before visiting any zoo, especially if the zoo allows interaction with animals.
