A day at a drive-thru zoo turned into a terrifying incident for one mother and her toddler. A giraffe ended up snatching the toddler from the backup of the truck.
A heartwarming moment soon turned sinister. The giraffe picked up the young girl from the truck bed, grabbing her by the clothes. The toddler had attempted to feed the animal. Her mother ended up recording the footage as the giraffe yanked her daughter away.
Meanwhile, another visitor captured the encounter from her car. They were at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose. "My daughter was recording a giraffe eating out of people's hands and dipping its head in sunroofs," she said. "We were three cars behind a red truck and saw the giraffe accidentally grab a little girl's shirt along with the food and lift her from the bed of the truck."
The toddler was only 2 years old. The toddler's father believes it was an accident. He thought the giraffe tried to grab food from the toddler but accidentally grabbed her shirt instead. The animal dropped her, and she also wasn't injured.
Giraffe Drops Toddler
"The safety of our guests and animals is always of utmost importance to us," said Warren Lewis, chief marketing officer for Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. "Although an incident like this has never occurred here previously, we are taking immediate action to make sure it won't happen again.
Fossil Rim has immediately banned guests from riding in truck beds for the drive-thru zoo. "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," Lewis added.
Meanwhile, viewers shared their own thoughts. One wrote, "Animals are animals NOT human. Some humans are evil. Animals go based of instinct."
Another wrote, "I was right. You are a terrible parent." Yet another one wrote, "The giraffe should not be punished in any way shape or form for the actions of ignorant humans.. I hope this child isnt traumatized by this experience. This is more proof these safari parks should not let humans who are uneducated in large wild animals behaviors interact like this.. its cruel to the animals, and its putting the "paying customers" in great dangers all in the name of profit and providing a postable social media experience .. How'd this experience work for all involved."
