A giraffe named Gracie has gone missing from Cedar Hollow Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. The ranch is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to her capture and safe return.
Search Efforts Underway
Gracie, estimated to be 3 or 4 years old and 10-11 feet tall, was last seen about five days ago on a game camera roaming in an area west of Leakey, a small city about 100 miles northwest of San Antonio. The Real County Sheriff’s Office is leading the search, with helicopters and ground teams scouring the area.
According to the ranch’s owner, Vic Jones, Gracie is believed to be roaming in an area made up of private ranches and has only made it about 3 miles away from where she originally escaped. Jones has expressed appreciation for the concern shown by the public and is urging anyone with information to come forward.
The Texas Hill Country is home to one of the largest concentrations of exotic captive animals in the country, with a mild climate and rugged terrain that serves as a good stand-in for many of the animals’ native African environments. While Gracie is not native to the area, Jones believes she should be able to find plenty of leaves and other vegetation to eat, and other animals are not likely to bother her.
Anyone with information about Gracie’s location can contact Vic Jones at 830-279-5822 or the Real County Sheriff’s Office at 830-232-5201.
Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.
