A giraffe named Gracie escaped from Cedar Hollow Ranch near Leakey, Texas, and has been found alive. She was spotted in a canyon corner on the ranch property, near a gate and rocky cliff, according to News 4 San Antonio.

Gracie disappeared on a Monday and was last seen on a game camera (a motion-triggered camera used by ranchers) west of Leakey. The search then spread across the Texas Hill Country, a hilly, rugged region in southwest Texas. The landscape is rocky and covered with cedar trees, which made finding a 15-foot-tall animal challenging.

The Real County Sheriff's Office managed the search, working with the Real County Animal Rescue-Shelter. They posted alerts on social media and offered a $5,000 reward for information about Gracie's location. The story was picked up by national news outlets including ABC10, First Coast News, and FOX 7 Austin, which helped spread the word even further, per the Houston Chronicle.

The canyon where Gracie was found had natural barriers—a gate on one side and a steep rock wall on the other. This may have kept her contained in one area for part of the time she was missing. During the search, authorities emphasized Gracie's rounded ears as a way to identify her, in case someone unfamiliar with giraffes spotted her.

Private ranches with exotic animals like giraffes are common in the Texas Hill Country. The area has mild winters and open land, making it suitable for animals that normally live in Africa. Giraffes are regulated by the federal government and require permits from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. When giraffes get scared or displaced, they can walk very long distances. They also make low sounds that are hard to hear in hilly, broken terrain, which is why spotting one by ear alone wouldn't work.

The search worked quickly because officials used multiple ways to alert the public—law enforcement announcements, social media posts, and news coverage. In rural Texas, these methods reach the ranchers, hunters, and landowners most likely to see animals on remote land. The $5,000 reward probably encouraged people to keep a close eye out.

No one was injured, and Gracie appeared to be unharmed. What's still unclear is how Gracie got out of the ranch in the first place, and whether any official review will follow. These questions haven't been publicly answered yet as of June 24, 2026.