For almost two weeks, residents of Real County, a rural area in Texas, have been scanning the skies and hills for a missing giraffe named Gracie. The reticulated giraffe, native to several eastern African countries, wandered off from a private game ranch, Cedar Hollow Ranch, in Leakey, a town of about 700 residents two hours west of San Antonio. On Wednesday, the free-roaming mammal's odyssey ended when she was reportedly found safe, albeit a "little farther out than expected" from her hill country home.
Community effort and social media buzz
During her absence, Gracie became something of a local celebrity. Word spread quickly on the internet, and the Real County Sheriff's Office issued a news release appealing for citizens to keep an eye out for the roving giraffe. The advisory included a detailed list of distinguishing features, notably her rounded ears, to avoid confusion with any other wandering long-necked animals. One observer posted on X: "They gave a description, 'Gracie has rounded ears'. So if you spot a giraffe out and about in the Texas hill country, check its ears first before calling it in. Wouldn't want to flood the hotline with mistaken identity."
Escape and search efforts
Vick Jones, the ranch's manager, told the New York Times that Gracie, between three-and-a-half and four years old, had wandered off into hilly grassland when she "came down on the wrong side of the gate" after reaching up to eat leaves from a tree. "This giraffe, like none of the others ever did, she would walk around," he said. Jones offered a $5,000 reward and deployed helicopters and drones in the search, according to San Antonio's CBS News affiliate KENS. Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson told the outlet he initially chuckled at the missing giraffe report but took the case seriously. "It found a way outside of the high game fence and after that it's been on a fling just enjoying the more rugged parts of Real county," he said. He also noted potential dangers: "We have mountain lions, we have other animals, a lot of coyotes, and there are predators out that can harm her, although she's a big animal."
Safe return confirmed
The happy news of Gracie's safe return came late Tuesday in a short report posted to the website of another San Antonio news station. "The giraffe that disappeared from a ranch in Leakey has been found alive," the report stated, offering no further details on the location or circumstances of the discovery. The Guardian has contacted the Real County Sheriff and Cedar Hollow Ranch for comment.
