When giraffes go on holiday, they don’t book a package deal to Benidorm. They simply stroll off into the Texan wilderness and spend a fortnight living beside a creek, eating whatever takes their fancy, and swishing their tail at nobody in particular. This is precisely what Gracie the giraffe did — and honestly, as far as escape plans go, the giraffe escapes Texas ranch story is one for the ages.
The Great Giraffe Escape: How Gracie Pulled It Off
Gracie, a three-year-old giraffe weighing a fairly formidable 1,200 pounds and standing a breezy 10 feet tall, had been resident at Cedar Hollow Ranch, roughly 100 miles west of San Antonio, since May. She had, by all accounts, developed a rather sophisticated daily routine. She would wander up to a rocky outcrop to feed on trees growing improbably out of the stone — because when you’re a giraffe, you have options most of us don’t — and then she’d amble back home like nothing had happened.
Until, one day, she didn’t. She came down the wrong side of the gate. And rather than do the sensible thing and turn around, Gracie apparently weighed up her options, concluded that forward was easier than back, and kept walking. It is, frankly, a philosophy many of us could learn from.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, owner Vick Jones was left to explain to Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson that his giraffe had gone AWOL. Johnson, who by his own admission had previously dealt with missing wildebeests, water buffalo, zebras, and monkeys in the area — but never, ever a giraffe — presumably took a long, measured breath before reaching for the helicopter keys.
Texas Hill Country: Surprisingly Good For A Giraffe On The Lam
Here is where the story takes a turn that will surprise absolutely no one who has ever watched a nature documentary with a glass of wine. Texas Hill Country, with its mild climate, rugged terrain, and abundant vegetation, turns out to be a perfectly acceptable alternative to the African savannah. Gracie found herself a pond, a creek, and enough leafy shrubbery to keep her going for a fortnight. She was, by all accounts, flourishing.
Furthermore, she had the good sense to settle on private, uninhabited land, meaning no alarmed locals had to explain to their children why there was a 10-foot tall animal browsing their hedge. Real County’s 2,700 residents — who had been urged to keep an eye out — were presumably both relieved and slightly disappointed.
In Africa, giraffes typically roam dry savannahs and open grasslands. Gracie, however, is a Texan giraffe now, and Texan giraffes apparently prefer creek-side dining with a side of dramatic rocky outcrops. One cannot blame her.
The Rescue Operation Nobody Asked Gracie About
Spotted during an aerial search approximately four miles south of her enclosure, Gracie was described by Jones with the quiet admiration of a man who has lost an argument with a giraffe. “She’s in good shape,” he said. “She’s standing there, swishing her tail.” The tail swish, for the record, is the giraffe equivalent of a shrug.
Getting her home was, predictably, not straightforward. Parts of the area couldn’t be reached by car. Vets had to sedate her, hood her eyes, and arrange a bespoke giraffe-sized trailer situation that involved not one but two separate vehicles. Consequently, what Gracie accomplished by simply walking in a straight line took an entire coordinated operation to reverse. There is a lesson here, though we’re not entirely sure what it is.
Jones has confirmed that a fence will now be built — which requires jackhammering through solid rock, because of course it does — and that Gracie will remain in her enclosure until it’s ready. He also noted, somewhat reassuringly, that had anyone encountered her during her adventure, she would simply have run away. She’s a lover, not a fighter. Texas Hill Country, home to one of the largest concentrations of exotic captive animals in the United States, has seen a lot. But Gracie may be its finest hour.
The Giraffe Escapes Texas Ranch — And We’re All a Little Jealous
Let’s be honest. When the giraffe escapes Texas ranch story broke, the overwhelming public response was not concern. It was envy. Two weeks by a creek, eating trees, bothering nobody, tail swishing in the warm Texan air. No emails. No meetings. No one asking if you’ve “had a chance to look at that thing they sent over.” Gracie didn’t just escape a ranch. She escaped the grind. And she looked absolutely magnificent doing it. Good on her. Truly. Exotic animal escapes rarely end this peacefully, and for that, we are grateful.
Read the original story at HuffPost Weird News.
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