Animal Tries To Kidnap Child At Popular Park, Update Given

Guests typically visit zoos and animal parks to come face-to-face with animals you won’t catch elsewhere. However, one guest came a little too close to said animals on a trip to a popular park last week.

While the majority of zoos and parks treat their animal residents with high-quality care and attention, the odd dramatic headline does leak through on occasion.

Killer whales during Orca Encounter at SeaWorld Orlando — Credit: SeaWorld

In the past few years, we’ve seen a 10-year-old boy hospitalized after a wolf ripped off his arm at a zoo in Mexico, while a SeaWorld Orlando trainer was bitten by a killer whale at the marine theme park while trying to remove paint chips from the orca’s mouth.

Most recently, an incident occurred at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.

A giraffe interacts with visitors on a safari tour in a popular park. The open-air, camouflaged vehicle carries people eagerly watching and taking photos. The scene is set in a grassy, wooded area within a peaceful, natural environment. — Credit: Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

As per a video acquired by NBC News, a toddler was visiting the Texas wildlife center when a giraffe plucked her from the truck and tried to lift her into the air.

The video shows the young girl, who’s wearing pigtails and a pink shirt, attempting to feed a giraffe during a feeding experience at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. As the giraffe comes closer, she tries to shift away – only for the animal to then bite her by the clothes and lift her up.

A woman screams in the background and grabs at the girl, who is then returned back to her parents without any harm.

Giraffe reaches into a pickup truck and grabs a 2 year old at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas.

Giraffe reaches into a pickup truck and grabs a 2 year old at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas
pic.twitter.com/azhtgM3n6T

— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) June 6, 2024

As per NBC News, Warren Lewis, chief marketing officer for Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, has shared a statement in which he said that the center had been notified of an “incident involving one of our giraffes” that took place last weekend.

Lewis clarified that nothing like this had ever happened at the park before, and that it is taking “immediate action to make sure it won’t happen again” by introducing a new rule that prohibits guests from riding in truck beds.

A white safari van, labeled "CHEETAH," is surrounded by five giraffes, including one baby giraffe, on a dirt path in a grassy area with trees. In this popular park, the giraffes are standing near the van, some grazing on leaves, creating a friendly interaction with the vehicle. — Credit: Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

Jason Toten – the father of the girl shown in the video – has also shared his own thoughts on the incident. “It was an accident and the giraffe didn’t mean to. It was just one of them things that happened,” he said. “We’re not mad at the giraffe. We’re not mad at the park.”

He added that their family is “saddened” by Fossil Rim Wildlife Center’s decision to stop guests from riding in the back of trucks, as he believes it’s a great experience for kids who love animals.

Have you ever encountered a similarly dramatic situation in a theme park? Let us know in the comments!