My son was like that when we went to a petting zoo and there was a clydesdale there. Gotta admit, an animal that's a foot or more taller than you is pretty intimidating. A giraffe, even more so.
A long time ago, when my daughter was just a bit over two years old, I was holding her in my arms at the zoo and we were looking at rhinoceroses off in the distance. After watching them for a while, she looked at me and exclaimed, "Daddy, I thought all the dinosaurs died!"
I remember when I was 3 I got to ride the tortoise at Como Zoo, no that is not me in the picture but about the right time frame http://www.startribune.com/june-24-1964-a-sloooow-ride-at-como-zoo/105598468/ My little brother had a major fit when he got near it! We also fed it lettuce and got to pet other animals up close.
