The viral giraffe who vanished from a Texas ranch two weeks ago was spotted looking “fat and happy” just miles away from her home during her stint on the lam, authorities announced Friday.
Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson told News4 San Antonio that Gracie the giraffe had a “catch me if you can sucker’s attitude” when she was located during an aerial search.
Gracie’s owner, 72-year-old Vick Jones, had linked up with an aviation business to look for the missing mammal, the Real County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Friday morning update.
“Mr. Jones has contacted his veterinarian and is putting a team together to safely capture Gracie and bring her home.”
Officials are coordinating with the owner’s veterinarian to sedate Gracie for transport back to the ranch.
Jones noted to News4 that, “She’s in good shape. She’s standing there, swishing her tail.”
The giraffe, who is around 4 years old, was found around four miles south from Cedar Hollow Ranch in Leakey, Texas, 100 miles from San Antonio.
According to Jones, the giraffe likely holed up near a local creek and pond for the last seven days, surviving on the heavy brush in the area.
Social media users were baffled about the giraffe’s disappearance considering its large size.
Reticulated giraffes can grow up to 16 feet tall, and weigh 2,600 pounds, according to the Denver Zoo. She is one of two giraffes on the property.
“Maybe it’s a short giraffe. I’m confused how you lose something that is 12 million feet tall,” one user said.
“How the hell do you lose a giraffe?” another user commented under a post about Gracie’s disappearance.
She disappeared while feeding on a hillside and wandering off through a gate.
Many other young male giraffes escaped through an open gate, but they returned on their own, Jones told the New York Times.
The owner explained that Gracie accidentally bypassed the enclosure after climbing a rocky slope to forage, inadvertently descending onto the wrong side of an open gate.
Securing the perimeter is uniquely challenging, as workers have to blast through solid stone just to anchor the fence posts.
While this is the first missing giraffe reported, Sheriff Johnson noted to News4 he has previously had reports of missing wildebeests, water buffalo, zebras, and monkeys in the area.
The Real County Sheriff’s Office could not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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