Escaped Texas giraffe spotted near ranch after two-week search

A helicopter spotted Gracie about four miles south of Cedar Hollow Ranch on Friday morning, ending a two-week search for the young giraffe that had wandered off a private exotic-animals facility in the Texas Hill Country. The reticulated giraffe, about 3 to 4 years old and roughly 10 to 11 feet tall, had been living at the ranch near Leakey, Texas, about 90 to 100 miles northwest of San Antonio, after arriving there in May.

The search stretched across rugged ranch country and brought together helicopters, drones, infrared cameras, tracking dogs and public tips. Authorities and the ranch had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to her safe return, and Gracie was last seen on a game camera west of Leakey before the effort intensified.

The Real County Sheriff’s Office said ranch manager Vick Jones had contacted a veterinarian and was assembling a team to bring Gracie home safely. Jones confirmed that the giraffe was spotted around 7:30 a.m. during an aerial search on a neighboring property near Regan Wells, and a sheriff’s office account later described her as “fat and happy.”

The recovery drew attention well beyond Real County because giraffes are not supposed to be roaming the Hill Country, even in a region with a strong private exotic-animal trade. Texas has seen other giraffe episodes that stirred public concern, including a toddler being grabbed at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and giraffe deaths at the Dallas Zoo, cases that kept the risks of ownership, containment and animal welfare in view. Gracie’s escape showed how quickly a fence breach can become a countywide operation, with deputies, aviation crews and veterinarians all pulled into the same search.