‘A lot of prayers and a lot of good luck’ | Fredericksburg veterinarian describes safe return of Gracie the giraffe after escape

The 16-foot-tall giraffe, who was on the loose for nearly two weeks after escaping from a ranch near Leakey, was safely returned on Monday morning.

AUSTIN, Texas — Gracie the giraffe is back home after spending nearly two weeks roaming the Texas Hill Country following an escape that captured national attention.

The 16-foot-tall giraffe was safely relocated on Monday morning to Cedar Hollow Ranch, near Leakey, after search crews found her three days earlier about 4 miles south of the ranch where she escaped earlier this month.

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The operation was led by Dr. Pat O’Neil, owner of Pedernales Veterinary Center in Fredericksburg, who also helped transport Gracie to the ranch in May.

“We’ve done [giraffe transfers] remotely like this before,” O’Neil said during an interview on Monday afternoon with KVUE, adding, “This was probably the most exciting one I’ve done in 43 years … And a little bit of attention on her, so it put a little pressure.”

Real County officials spent nearly two weeks searching for Gracie after she escaped from the ranch.

Sheriff Nathan Johnson said deputies and volunteers used helicopters and drones to search the rugged terrain before an aerial search located the giraffe on Friday.

According to O’Neil, crews found Gracie around 6:30 a.m. Monday in the same remote area where she had previously been spotted.

Despite nearly two weeks in the wild, O’Neil said Gracie appeared healthy and had access to plenty of food and water.

“We’ve got her safe and sound back home,” he said.

The relocation effort began around 4 a.m. Monday and lasted until about 11 a.m.

O’Neil said Gracie was tranquilized from a helicopter before a team on the ground moved in.

“Out of the helicopter, she’s remotely darted,” O’Neil explained. “It takes about three minutes for the medicine to take effect. Then she falls down, and she fell gently on a safe, good spot.”

Once sedated, the crew placed a blindfold, halter and ropes on Gracie before reversing the tranquilizer.

“When she’s wide awake, of course, she doesn’t know where she’s at, and we have to guide her with about eight people to keep her under control,” O’Neil said.

The team loaded Gracie into a trailer in less than 10 minutes before transporting her back to the ranch.

O’Neil credited the successful rescue to a coordinated team effort involving Pedernales Veterinary Center, helicopter crews from Tango 82 Aviation in Fredericksburg, nearby ranches that granted access to their property and a hauler from the San Angelo area that brought a special giraffe trailer.

“We did good, and again, a lot of prayers and a lot of good luck,” he said.

O’Neil said he plans to check on Gracie again in the coming days. After several long days coordinating the rescue, he joked his immediate plans were much simpler: 

“I’m going to go home and take a nap.”