Gracie, a reticulated giraffe that went missing from a private game ranch in rural Texas for nearly two weeks, was found safe on Friday about four miles from the homestead, according to authorities.
Aerial Search Locates Gracie
An aerial search ultimately pinpointed the whereabouts of Gracie, said Nathan Johnson, the Real County sheriff, in a Facebook post announcing the success. The giraffe was located about four miles south of Cedar Hollow Ranch in Leakey, a town of about 700 residents two hours west of San Antonio.
Johnson attached overhead pictures of Gracie nestled among shrubs on spartan terrain. “Mr. Jones has contacted his veterinarian and is putting a team together to safely capture Gracie and bring her home,” Johnson’s post said.
Two-Week Saga Begins
The saga began on June 12 when Gracie wandered out of her enclosure at Cedar Hollow Ranch. News of a reticulated giraffe, native to several countries in eastern Africa, vanishing in the Texas hill country spread widely on the internet. Johnson’s office appealed for citizens to keep an eye out for Gracie, listing her distinguishing features.
Vick Jones, the ranch manager, offered a $5,000 reward for information and hired helicopters and drones to aid the search, according to San Antonio’s CBS News affiliate KENS.
False Report Causes Confusion
Searchers’ hopes were falsely raised late Tuesday when the website for San Antonio’s NBC affiliate WOAI published a story that Gracie had been found safe. Johnson subsequently said that report was inaccurate. “The giraffe has not been located. It’s still at large,” Johnson said. The local station then backed away from the story, saying the original report “couldn’t be confirmed.” Johnson blamed the confusion on misinformation from “idiots in their pajamas in their mother’s basement on the internet with nothing else to do.”
Gracie Found Fat and Happy
Shortly before 10 a.m. Friday in Leakey, Johnson published a genuine post announcing that aerial search efforts from Jones and Jeff Hill of Concho Aviation had found Gracie. According to WOAI, Johnson said Gracie was “fat and happy” when found and had a “catch me if you can, suckers” attitude.
