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Giraffe escapes Texas ranch. Still missing.

9,930 Views | 80 Replies | Last: 1 day ago by HalifaxAg
shiftyandquick
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7:21a, 6/24/26
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/us/gracie-giraffe-texas-missing.html

Quote:
Who has a long neck, rounded ears and answers to the name Gracie?
A giraffe who's gone missing from a private game reserve in the Hill Country region of Texas. That's 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, Vick Jones, the ranch's manager, said.
She remained missing as of Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Jones said.
The news of Gracie's disappearance has traveled far beyond Leakey, a city with just about 700 residents that is about 100 miles west of San Antonio, after the Real County Sheriff's Office posted a news alert about the missing giraffe on Monday.
The owner, who was not identified, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Gracie's capture and safe return, Mr. Jones said.

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JB
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7:37a, 6/24/26
AG
I think they found her, but I am not seeing many details
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to JB • 7:44a, 6/24/26
AG
JB said:
I think they found her, but I am not seeing many details

I may or may not have seen her pics on someone's trail cam...
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Deerdude
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7:50a, 6/24/26
All you arena ropers get out there and catch this beast.
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Furlock Bones
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8:06a, 6/24/26
AG
I don't currently have a room tall enough. But, I'm not saying I wouldn't find a way.
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to Furlock Bones • 8:16a, 6/24/26
AG
JapanTiger will probably lease you a spot on his wall
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Gunny456
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8:21a, 6/24/26
AG
In Texas, exotics are considered "alternative livestock" and fall under the same laws as other livestock as far as ownership, theft, killing and control. The TSCRA has special rangers that are involved in cases like this. I have worked with them a number of times on escaped, highly valuable or rare exotics. I worked with a ranch in central Texas that had giraffes and we would transport them in expensive purpose built tall trailers. It was always fun to watch the reaction from folks as we hauled them down the highway.
Most all the private owned giraffes in Texas on game preserves come from overstock from zoos and are typically used for strictly breeding operations to supply other zoos and game preserves with animals.....some even for reintroduction back into their native lands.
Years back I was involved in some ranches in Texas raising Addax and many were shipped back to their native lands for reintroduction because they had basically been wiped out.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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Fdsa
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In reply to Gunny456 • 8:23a, 6/24/26
Ever work with the YO Ranch and their giraffes? We were friends with the family…almost got stomped by a giraffe while trying to get a picture in front of one when I was about 10.
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O.G.
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8:42a, 6/24/26
Assuming it was free ranging and 100% legal to kill....

This would be something that would show up where I was hunting when I was completely by myself and the closest help was 5 hours away.
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Gunny456
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In reply to Fdsa • 8:43a, 6/24/26
AG
Yes sir. My old Ag roommate in WFS worked there as a biologist for many years in the late 70's 80's. I did a lot of work and business with them. That's back when the YO was on the cutting edge of the exotic and white tail research in the country. They also did lots of research with the white Rhinos and lots of super exotics like Eland, Gemsbok, Sables, and Lechwe/Addax. Its really a shame as to the demise of the ranch. Captain Charles Schreiner had a definite vision of greatness for the YO. Lots of Texas history there...some truth, some myth.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to O.G. • 8:51a, 6/24/26
AG
Been awhile since I read the law on this, but per my last understanding, exotics are afforded the same protection as cattle, so long as there is visible branding or a tag. However, I am not sure how that would play out in this case because a free range Giraffe isn't exactly the same as a stag or axis or something that is plausibly free range and not owned by anyone. I really don't know though...

I do know that we have always instructed our guys that if it has a tag, do not shoot it (or be caught in possession of it) unless it is a whitetail. They're fair game.
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Fdsa
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In reply to Gunny456 • 8:54a, 6/24/26
Yes, sad to see what it is today. Hard to believe it was once 600,000 acres.
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B-1 83
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In reply to Furlock Bones • 9:13a, 6/24/26
AG
Furlock Bones said:
I don't currently have a room tall enough. But, I'm not saying I wouldn't find a way.

Had a chance to shoot one for $3500 in S Africa. No real desire, and I couldn't even make a rug fit in my house. The leg bones are "poor man's ivory".

True story….. We were looking for a friend's wounded wildebeest and I went to a high point to scope and look. On the way, I came out of some brush, into a big clearing on a bluff and right in to a herd of giraffes. They could have stomped me into a grease spot, but just backed up a bit and watched me unconcerned.

Being in TexAgs jail changes a man……..no, not really
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BlueSmoke
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9:16a, 6/24/26
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Deerdude
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In reply to Furlock Bones • 9:49a, 6/24/26
Furlock Bones said:
I don't currently have a room tall enough. But, I'm not saying I wouldn't find a way.


Mount on basement wall and make necessary incisions in floor.
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Gunny456
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In reply to Fdsa • 10:00a, 6/24/26
AG
I know it. The specific piece or portion that everyone came to know in Kerr County as the "YO" was originally a little less than 70,000 acres. Divorces and family feuds and bankruptcy slowly ate that up....like the creation of the "YO Ranch Lands" ...a group of privately owned pieces of one big piece.
Here is a fun fact.........The part of the headquarters and surrounding 50,000 acres did NOT have any natural ground water. No running creeks or anything like that. No pond or lakes. All the livestock and game animals were watered across the entire ranch by windmills and stock tanks.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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Gunny456
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 10:10a, 6/24/26
AG
As I said above I have been involved over the years with some "escaped" valuable and or rare exotics. Sables, Gemsbok, Red Lechwe, Elands etc. (Never an escaped Giraffe though). It is usually viewed as common sense by adjoining land owners that if they see a hoofed exotic animal that is not tagged, but is not your everday, axis, fallow, blackbuck,...to not kill it unless it is endangering yourself, or your livestock....and report it to TSCRA or the Exotic Wildlife Association. No different in law than finding a horse, bull, etc. Ear tags can be easily torn out etc....so common sense should prevail in these cases.

My neighbor had his really nice breeder elk bull get out of his pasture and into mine. Talking a 400 class elk. I knew it was his...ear tag was gone and I guess I could have laid it on the ground. At the end of the day I did what I though was the right thing to do...as I got in touch with him and even helped him catch him.....It paid off as about a year later I had a Addax bull get out and he helped me find it and catch it.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to Gunny456 • 10:55a, 6/24/26
AG
For sure and not trying to advocate that we would be killing just any super exotic that walks out. However it is challenging when you're in an area with so many known free range exotics and not really any direct high fence neighbors.

We did have an addax last year that no one shot and let a Nilgai cow walk for a really long time until she vanished. All of the other normal exotics, except for our one red stag hind with a tag, are being managed accordingly. But she's been out for at least 5 years from wherever she came from.
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ttha_aggie_09
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10:58a, 6/24/26
AG
Just got this pic
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O.G.
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11:10a, 6/24/26
How it would go....


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Gunny456
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 11:11a, 6/24/26
AG
Oh hell know I know you were not advocating that. Quite to the contrary, I would be happy as heck to have a neighbor like you, because I would know I would then have a highly knowledgeable, ethical hunter, with a lot of "savvy" on animals and hunting and common sense.
And yes sir, I agree on what you say exactly!
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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Deerdude
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In reply to O.G. • 11:34a, 6/24/26
O.G. said:
How it would go....




I'm pretty sure there is no overpass in Real and maybe Uvalde counties so this critter could be safe.
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PlanoAg98
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11:41a, 6/24/26
AG
Be careful during transport.

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GottaRide
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2:08p, 6/24/26
S
Still missing as of a few minutes ago.
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to GottaRide • 2:19p, 6/24/26
AG
I need to figure out why no one has reported her yet. She was on camera not that long ago West of Leakey.
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DoitBest
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 2:47p, 6/24/26
S
ttha_aggie_09 said:
I need to figure out why no one has reported her yet. She was on camera not that long ago West of Leakey.

Look no further than the OP username...

They have no doubt been training Gracie on evasive moves and hoof speed leading up to the escape.
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PlanoAg98
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3:09p, 6/24/26
AG
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Drundel
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3:38p, 6/24/26
AG
What are the odds she's already in someone's freezer?
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SGrem
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4:43p, 6/24/26
Seen countless in the wild in Tanzania and Namibia. Never had a desire to shoot one when that opportunity came up.

HOWEVER! Had a couple of opportunities on exotics while bow hunting public lands in my 20s while at Aggieland. Missed a too long of a shot on a very very nice sika deer. No doubt that deer got out of a game ranch somewhere. Not sure in my 20s I would have held off on the shot at a giraffe. No way today but back then I wanted everything.....

Good luck Gracie!
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S.A. Aggie
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 5:19p, 6/24/26
AG
ttha_aggie_09 said:
Just got this pic
Nice picture of Trump tubing as a kid!
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to S.A. Aggie • 5:24p, 6/24/26
AG
"These rapids are HUGEEEE"
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Deerdude
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6:11p, 6/24/26
Thinking back, gramma would take the whole WT neck and throw in the oven overnight low and slow. Meat just fell off next day for lunch.
Imagine what she could do with that giraffe .
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zooguy96
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6:33p, 6/24/26
AG
We had a guy who worked at one of the zoos I worked at who had two hyenas and a 7 foot Nile crocodile.

He would feed them roadkill that he would find on the interstate on the 30 mile drive to work.
I know a lot about a little, and a little about a lot.
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FSGuide
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In reply to Deerdude • 8:10p, 6/24/26
Deerdude said:
Thinking back, gramma would take the whole WT neck and throw in the oven overnight low and slow. Meat just fell off next day for lunch.
Imagine what she could do with that giraffe .


She'd need a longer oven
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DargelSkout
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8:11p, 6/24/26
AG
I think a place in Seguin lost two giraffes because they walked into a power line and were electrocuted. This was over a decade ago when I heard about it.
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