A missing giraffe in the Texas Hill Country has inspired a flood of humorous social media posts from local agencies and organizations across the state.
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Gracie the Giraffe was reported missing from Cedar Hollow Ranch in Real County earlier this week after she was last spotted on a game camera west of Leakey. Ranch officials are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.
As news of the unusual missing animal spread online, agencies began joining in with playful posts imagining where Gracie may have ended up.
One of the most popular came from the Uvalde Fire Department, which jokingly announced that Gracie had been hired as its newest probationary firefighter.
“The Uvalde Fire Department would like to welcome our newest probationary firefighter, Gracie the Giraffe!” the department wrote on social media, adding that her height made her uniquely qualified for roof inspections, aerial observations and reaching places “no ladder can.”
Other organizations have also shared tongue-in-cheek updates, claiming Gracie was spotted in their communities or helping with local operations.
The posts have generated thousands of likes, shares and comments as Texans follow the giraffe’s story online.
While the agencies are clearly having fun with the situation, the posts have also helped bring additional attention to the search for Gracie and introduced many people to the original missing giraffe alert.
For now, Gracie remains missing, but her unexpected social media fame has turned a local animal search into a statewide conversation.