A giraffe’s bite turns into an airborne safari adventure for a Texas toddler

GLEN ROSE, Texas (AP) — A Texas family briefly got scared when a bite from a giraffe turned a 2-year-old’s safari visit into an aerial adventure.

Paisley Totten was in the bed of a pickup truck on June 1 as her family drove through Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, where visitors can see exotic animals like zebras, giraffes and sable antelope, and feed some from their car.

The family stopped to feed a giraffe when it grabbed Paisley’s shirt in its mouth and lifted it several feet. Paisley’s mother was with her in the crib and screamed, prompting the giraffe to drop the baby unharmed into her arms. A video of the encounter, taken from the back of the car, has gone viral. The girl’s family also filmed her video.

“Paisley was carrying the bag and the giraffe went to get the bag, not get it, but he ended up getting her shirt as well and picked it up,” Jason Totten, the girl’s father, told KWTX.

“My heart stopped, my stomach dropped… It scared me,” Totten said.

The family then took the girl to the store and bought her a giraffe toy.

Park rules when visiting allow a family to ride in an open truck bed as long as there is an adult riding with any children. On Thursday, the park changed its safety rules to require everyone to remain inside their cars with the doors closed.