Gracie the Giraffe, who went missing for about two weeks in Texas after wandering off a remote private ranch, was finally found Friday — and the open range appeared to have agreed with her.
The giraffe was spotted about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) south of her enclosure during an aerial search in the Texas Hill Country, according to Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson. He said Gracie’s owner, Vick Jones, contacted a veterinarian and began putting together a team to bring the giraffe safely back to the ranch.
“She’s in good shape,” Jones said. “She’s standing there, swishing her tail.”
Gracie, who is about 3 years old and weighs at least 1,200 pounds, was found within a half-mile of a pond and creek and had plenty of vegetation to feed on, said Jones, adding that she appeared to have been in that area for about a week.
Getting the 10-foot-tall giraffe home to the Cedar Hollow Ranch, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of San Antonio, was taking some work.
Veterinarians needed time to sedate Gracie and put a hood over her eyes, Jones said. From there, Gracie will be moved with an open-pasture trailer to a taller, enclosed trailer made for giraffes for the trip back to the ranch.
Parts of the remote area cannot be reached by car, which prompted the search by helicopter. While Real County’s 2,700 residents were urged to keep an eye out for her, Gracie was found on private property where no one lives, Jones said.
“We didn’t bother her,” Jones said of the sighting. “She’s got water. She looked in really good shape.”
The Texas Hill Country has one of the largest concentrations of exotic captive animals in the U.S.
Johnson said this week he’s had reports of missing wildebeests, water buffalo, zebras and monkeys, though never a giraffe previously.
The area has a mild climate and rugged terrain — and plenty of vegetation for Gracie to eat. In Africa, giraffes thrive best in dry and semidry savannahs and grasslands.
Jones believes that Gracie, who arrived at the ranch in May, didn’t mean to leave it. She had been wandering up to a rocky area to feed on trees growing out of the rock and had always come back to the ranch’s giraffe enclosure.
Jones said Gracie wandered into the rocky area, fed, and came down on the wrong side of the gate. At that point, he said, it was easier for her to keep walking in the same direction than to try to go back.
The area wasn’t fenced because giraffes had not been going there until Gracie did — and building a fence requires jackhammering through rock to put up the posts. But Jones said he plans to have a fence put up now, and Gracie will stay in the ranch’s giraffe enclosure until it’s ready.
Despite Gracie’s size, she wouldn’t have harmed a person who encountered her off the ranch, Jones said.
“If you move toward her, she’s taking off,” he said.
Vic Jones via Vic Jones via AP
After going missing for two weeks from a secluded Texas ranch, Gracie the Giraffe was finally located on Friday. The expansive environment seemed to suit her well.
Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson reported that Gracie was discovered approximately 4 miles south of her enclosure during an aerial search in the Texas Hill Country. Her owner, Vick Jones, immediately organized a team with a veterinarian to ensure her safe return to the ranch.
Jones observed Gracie’s condition and noted, “She’s in good shape. She’s standing there, swishing her tail.”
At 3 years old and weighing over 1,200 pounds, Gracie was found near a pond and creek, with ample vegetation for sustenance. Jones speculated she might have been in that area for about a week.
Transporting the 10-foot giraffe back to Cedar Hollow Ranch, located roughly 100 miles west of San Antonio, proved challenging.
Jones explained that sedation and a hood over Gracie’s eyes were necessary before transferring her from an open-pasture trailer to a specialized trailer designed for giraffes.
The remote terrain, inaccessible by car, necessitated a helicopter search. While local residents were alerted to look out for her, Gracie was eventually found on uninhabited private land.
Jones remarked, “We didn’t bother her. She’s got water. She looked in really good shape.”
The Texas Hill Country is known for having a large population of exotic captive animals in the U.S.
Johnson mentioned recent reports of missing animals like wildebeests, water buffalo, zebras, and monkeys, but a missing giraffe was a first for the area.
The region’s mild climate and rugged landscape, with plenty of vegetation, made it ideal for Gracie. In her native Africa, giraffes thrive in dry savannahs and grasslands.
Jones surmised that Gracie, who arrived at the ranch in May, had no intention of leaving. She had wandered to a rocky area to feed but always returned to her enclosure.
Jones noted that Gracie had inadvertently crossed to the wrong side of the gate after feeding, finding it easier to continue walking rather than turning back.
The area lacked fencing because giraffes had never ventured there before Gracie. Constructing a fence requires drilling through rock for posts. Jones now plans to fence the area, keeping Gracie within the enclosure until it’s completed.
Jones assured that Gracie posed no threat to anyone encountering her outside the ranch.
“If you move toward her, she’s taking off,” he remarked.
Vic Jones via Vic Jones via AP
