A Valley Mills, Texas family suffered quite the scare at Fossil Rim on June 1 when a giraffe accidentally picked their toddler up out of the bed of their truck. At Fossil Rim, visitors get to drive themselves along a path where exotic and endangered animals all roam free. Visitors are allowed to feed the animals. When visiting such a wildlife center, most families expect to see exotic animals up close and personal. However, for the Toten family from Texas, their recent visit to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, southwest of Forth Worth, turned into a heart-stopping moment when their 2-year-old daughter found herself in the air, courtesy of a curious giraffe.
Paisley Toten was riding in the back of a pickup truck with her mom, feeding all the animals, when one giraffe accidentally grabbed her shirt and lifted Paisley into the air. Paisley’s father, Jason Toten, recalled the moment the giraffe picked up his daughter, which was caught on video by a car behind them.
Video footage captured the giraffe grabbing little Paisley’s shirt with its mouth and lifting her about a foot out of her dad’s truck bed before dropping her back into her mother’s arms. Despite the terrifying ordeal, Paisley was unharmed.
According to Toten, it was a complete accident and they never broke any rules. “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 said.
Here is how one station covered the story, and the girl's father speaks with GOOD MORNING AMERICA.
Photo: Marc Rauw / Moment / Getty Images