For a Brief Time, 'Gracie' Wandered Texas Unfettered

Texas ranchers are breathing a sigh of relief after a very conspicuous escapee in Hill Country was found: a young giraffe named Gracie. The 3- or 4-year-old, one of two giraffes at Cedar Hollow Ranch in Real County, slipped out more than a week ago after wandering to an unfenced area beyond an 8-foot gate, ranch manager Vick Jones says, per NBC News. "We checked all the ranches around us," says Jones, per Chron, which reports that Gracie had only been at the ranch for just over a month. "She wasn't on any of them."

News4SA isn't reporting exactly where Gracie was located, with Search & Support San Antonio noting only that she was located a "little farther out than expected." Jones tells the New York Times that giraffes have escaped from the game preserve before, noting that multiple young males once slipped out of an open gate but came back of their own volition when a storm rolled through. The ranch's owner had offered a $5,000 reward for information that led to Gracie's safe return, per a social media post by the Real County Animal Rescue-Shelter. It's not clear if anyone will be collecting.