Giraffe snatches toddler from car at US safari park

A US father has recalled the heartstopping moment his toddler was snatched by a giraffe at a safari park in Texas.

The family was at Fossil Rim Wildlife Centre in Glen Rose, where visitors can drive-through the park to get close to wild animals like cheetahs, deer, wolves, zebras and rhinos.

They are also given the opportunity to feed giraffes from their car.

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Jason Toten took his two-year-old daughter Paisley to the park earlier this month and stopped to let her offer the giraffe some food.

The giraffe reached down to grab the bag and accidentally hoisted the toddler up by her shirt in the process, according to footage captured from visitors in the car behind them.

"I turned around to look out the back window and I saw the giraffe digging around right there and then it just grabbed her and I didn't see her no more," he told KWTX.

"My heart stopped, my stomach dropped."

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Paisley was quickly dropped back into the car and luckily escaped from the incident uninjured.

The toddler told the publication she was scared but happy to walk away with a giraffe toy from the park's souvenir store.