Giraffe MIA for 2 Weeks Found 'Fat and Happy'

Earlier reports of Gracie the giraffe's recovery were premature. The young giraffe, who went missing for about two weeks in Texas after wandering off a remote private ranch, was finally found Friday, and the open range appeared to have agreed with her. The giraffe was spotted about 4 miles south of her enclosure during an aerial search in Hill Country, according to Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson, who told CBS Austin that Gracie was "fat and happy" when found. He said Gracie's owner, Vick Jones, contacted a veterinarian and began putting together a team to bring the giraffe safely back to the ranch, per the AP. "She's in good shape," Jones said. She was found just "standing there, swishing her tail."

Gracie, who's about 3 years old and weighs at least 1,200 pounds, was found within a half-mile of a pond and creek and had plenty of vegetation to eat, said Jones, adding that she appeared to have been in that area for about a week. Getting the 10-foot-tall giraffe home to the Cedar Hollow Ranch, 100 miles west of San Antonio, was taking some work. Veterinarians needed time to sedate Gracie and put a hood over her eyes, Jones said. From there, Gracie will be moved with an open-pasture trailer to a taller, enclosed trailer made for giraffes for the trip back home.

Parts of the remote area can't be reached by car, which prompted the search by helicopter. While Real County's 2,700 residents were urged to keep an eye out for her, Gracie was found on private property where no one lives, Jones said. Texas' Hill Country has one of the largest concentrations of exotic captive animals in the US. Johnson said this week he's had reports of missing wildebeests, water buffalo, zebras, and monkeys, though never a giraffe. The area has a mild climate and rugged terrain—and plenty of vegetation for animals like Gracie to eat.

Jones believes that Gracie, who arrived at the ranch in May, didn't mean to leave it: She'd wandered into a rocky area to feed, then came down on the wrong side of the gate. At that point, he said, it was easier for her to keep walking in the same direction than to try to go back. The area wasn't fenced because giraffes hadn't gone there previously. Jones said he plans to have a fence put up now, and Gracie will stay in the ranch's giraffe enclosure until it's ready.