Giraffe named Gracie goes missing from a Texas ranch

NEW YORK – Who has a long neck, rounded ears and answers to the name Gracie?

A giraffe who has gone missing from a private game reserve in the Hill Country region of Texas. That is who.

Gracie the giraffe took her leave from the Cedar Hollow Ranch in Leakey, Texas, about a week and a half ago, when she was last seen on a game camera west of the area, the ranch’s manager Vick Jones said.

She remained missing as of June 23 afternoon, Jones said.

The news of Gracie’s disappearance has travelled far beyond Leakey, a city with just about 700 residents that is about 160km west of San Antonio, after the Real County Sheriff’s Office posted a news alert about the missing giraffe on June 22.

The owner, who was not identified, is offering a US$5,000 (S$6,500) reward for information leading to Gracie’s capture and safe return, Jones said.

Gracie arrived in May at Cedar Hollow Ranch, a privately owned breeding facility that raises exotic animals and sells them to other ranches, Jones, 76, said.

Gracie, who is estimated to be about 3½ to four years old, is a reticulated giraffe, a type known for its smooth, clean coat pattern, he said. The ranch did not disclose her height or weight.

The ranch has had giraffes on the property for more than 30 years, Jones said.

According to Jones, Gracie wandered to a corner of the property, which sits in a canyon, bordered by a gate enclosure and a steep, solid rock slab.

“This giraffe, like none of the others ever did, she would walk around” the property and, Jones said, reach up and “eat on the tree limbs that was up there”.

Gracie came down on the wrong side of the gate and wandered off into the Hill Country land beyond the property, Jones said. The region in central and southern Texas has hilly grassland, springs and canyons.

This is not the first time one of the ranch’s giraffes has been on the loose. Several young male giraffes had escaped through an open gate, but a storm rolling through drove them back to the barn, Jones said.

Jones searched for Gracie on June 23 afternoon, after reports of sightings and pictures of her at nearby ranches, but was unsuccessful. Still, Jones said he was optimistic about her return.

According to Brookfield Zoo Chicago, reticulated giraffes are native to north-eastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia and Somalia and are recognised for their striking coat patterns. They are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Red List. NYTIMES