Gracie the Giraffe, who was on the loose in Texas Hill Country, found safe, authorities say

TRUE COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A giraffe that made national headlines is one step closer to returning home after straying from her owner’s Texas ranch, according to authorities.

Gracie the giraffe was reported missing Monday afternoon by the Real County Sheriff’s Office. A flyer from the Sheriff’s Office described Gracie as having round ears, and announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to her arrest and safe return. A game camera west of Leakey Township showed Gracie wandering into the Hill Country brush.

On Friday afternoon, more than 72 hours after the initial report of the disappearance, the Sheriff’s Office said Gracie’s owner and the pilot found her during an aerial search. She was found four miles south of her home at Cedar Hollow Ranch.

According to Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson, Gracie’s owner was working with a veterinarian to put together a team to safely return the wandering giraffe home.

Authorities have not said how Gracie wandered into Cedar Hollow Ranch.

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Texas state law allows ownership of exotic animals such as giraffes.

Real County is located approximately 100 miles west of San Antonio, Texas, and had a population of just under 3,000 people at the 2020 census.