Authorities located a missing reticulated giraffe named Gracie on Friday after a two-week search in Real County, Texas [1].

The recovery of the animal ends a high-profile rescue operation in the Texas Hill Country that utilized aerial surveillance to track the animal through rugged terrain.

Gracie, who is between three [3] and nearly four years old [4], had escaped from the Cedar Hollow Ranch near Leakey. The ranch and local authorities launched an extensive effort to find the animal after she slipped away from the property [1, 5].

Search teams eventually spotted the giraffe from the air. "We spotted her around 7:30 a.m. Friday during an aerial search," ranch manager Vick Jones said [4].

The search lasted approximately 14 days [1]. Despite the time spent away from the ranch, the animal appeared to be in good health upon her discovery. "She was 'fat and happy' when we found her," Jones said [1].

Gracie is currently being returned to the Cedar Hollow Ranch. The operation involved coordinated efforts to ensure the giraffe could be safely transported back to her enclosure without injury to the animal, or the rescue teams [2, 6].

“"We spotted her around 7:30 a.m. Friday during an aerial search."”

The successful recovery of Gracie highlights the logistical challenges of managing exotic wildlife in rural environments. The reliance on aerial surveillance to locate a large mammal in the Texas Hill Country demonstrates how specialized technology is increasingly necessary for animal recovery missions when traditional ground tracking fails.