A Texas family got more than they bargained for when they decided to take a day trip to an animal adventure park. Jason Toten and his fiancée, Sierra Robert, thought their 2-year-old daughter, Paisley, would love to interact with the animals at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. What they didn’t count on was one of the giraffes picking up their daughter to get a closer look.
The heart-stopping video shows the moment one of the giraffes at Fossil Rim picks Paisley up, and seconds later, Robert snatches her back. Thankfully, Paisley was OK, but it is a cautionary tale for parents to remember that even the most docile-looking creatures can be dangerous.
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The family appeared to be following the rules.
Fossil Rim allows patrons to drive their personal vehicles in the park to observe various animals up close. The adventure includes the chance to feed the animals with food provided by Fossil Rim. Guests are required to remain in their vehicles at all times, which, according to the company website, includes truck beds, which is where Paisley and her mom were at the time of their encounter with the giraffe.
“You may ride in the back of pickups with tailgates up, but there must be an adult (18+ years), and you must remain seated on the bed – not on wheel wells or truck bed walls,” the website reads.
The giraffe seemed to grab Paisley out of nowhere.
Another park guest was filming the giraffes with a phone and caught the moment one of the giraffes at Fossil Rim grabbed Paisley. Robert shared the four-second video on her Facebook page, and it is truly incredible to see.
Toten told KWTX he looked up, and Paisley was gone.
“We stopped to feed the giraffes, and I turned around to look out the back window, and I saw the giraffe kind of digging around right there, and then it just grabbed her, and I didn’t see her no more,” he said.
The family claims it was just an accident.
Toten told KWTX he and his family were following the rules, and his daughter got scooped up by accident. “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.”
He said Robert yelled at the giraffe, and it let go of Paisley. Thankfully, the little girl is fine.
“My heart stopped, my stomach dropped … it scared me,” he said.
Toten and Robert plan to take Paisley back to the park.
Even though it was a scary moment for the parents, Paisley appeared unfazed. They hope to go back to Fossil Rim again and even stopped for a souvenir on the way out. Paisley got herself a giraffe toy for all her troubles that day. Toten said, “She deserved it.”
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Paisley apparently thought the whole ordeal was pretty funny.
Robert shared the family’s adventure on her Facebook page, including photos and videos of the day at Fossil Rim. Family and friends commented on the post and said they were glad Paisley was OK. Robert wrote that the little girl thought it was a fun adventure.
“She’s OK, she is actually excited to tell the story to everyone,” she shared in the comments.
