Gracie the giraffe has been found in the Texas Hill Country after being missing for approximately two weeks. The 3-year-old giraffe, weighing at least 1,200 pounds, was spotted on Friday during an aerial search about 4 miles south of the Cedar Hollow Ranch.
Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson confirmed Gracie's location, and her owner, Vick Jones, was working with a veterinarian and a team to safely transport her back to the ranch, located about 100 miles west of San Antonio.
"She's in good shape," Jones stated, adding that the giraffe appeared to have been near a pond and creek for about a week and had access to vegetation. Jones believes Gracie wandered off after feeding on trees near a rocky area and accidentally went down the wrong side of a gate, which was not fully fenced because she had not previously ventured there.
Veterinarians planned to sedate Gracie, cover her eyes with a hood, and then move her using an open-pasture trailer to a specialized giraffe trailer for the journey home. The remote terrain in parts of the area necessitated the use of a helicopter for the search. While residents were asked to keep an eye out, Gracie was found on private property.
The Texas Hill Country is known for having a large concentration of exotic captive animals. Sheriff Johnson noted that while other exotic animals like wildebeests and zebras have been reported missing in the area, a giraffe escape was a first.
Gracie had arrived at the ranch in May. Jones indicated that she would not have harmed anyone she encountered, stating, "If you move toward her, she's taking off." He plans to install a fence to prevent future escapes and Gracie will remain in the ranch's enclosure until it is ready.