Maggie the Alaska Zoo elephant
On Wednesday, June 6, the Alaska Zoo Board of Directors announced that it would relocate Maggie, a 27-year-old African elephant who has long been the centre of controversy, to a yet-to-be named facility, provided certain criteria can be met. Animal protection organisations have welcomed the decision and are urging Alaska Zoo to send Maggie to a sanctuary rather than another zoo. Only a sanctuary can provide the space and natural conditions that Maggie needs to thrive. Inadequate conditions at Alaska Zoo have taken a serious toll on Maggie. Last month, Maggie was twice found lying down and unable to get up. Both times, the Anchorage Fire Department hoisted Maggie up, utilising as many as 17 firefighters and heavy equipment. During the first incident, Maggie was down for up to 19 hours, an extremely dangerous situation because the weight of the elephant’s body can stop blood flow to the extremities, impair breathing, and damage internal organs. Maggie has captured worldwide attention as the only elephant in Alaska, where she is forced to spend the cold half of the year indoors and sedentary in a 1600-square-foot pen with concrete flooring, which can lead to fatal foot and joint problems. Maggie has lived alone since the 1997 death of her companion, Annabelle, caused by chronic foot infections. Annabelle was euthanised at age 33, half an elephant’s natural lifespan. We will update this page when we hear more news. This information is taken from the website of In Defense of Animals www.HelpElephants.com Original article from January 2001 We have been contacted by a concerned resident in Alaska, asking for our help. Alaska Zoo in Anchorage is presently home to Maggie, an African elephant. She lives alone at the zoo. CAPS has been told that her indoor accommodation, in which she spends much of her time, is a barn, with a concrete floor. The zoo’s previous elephant, Annabelle was alone so Maggie was brought by the zoo board to keep Annabelle company. Maggie was then a 2 year old orphan from culls in Zimbabwe. Her family would have been slaughtered around her, and after such a traumatic experience she would have eventually been sold on to the zoo, enduring hours of travelling before reaching her final destination. The elephants did not hit it off, and Annabelle eventually died from foot problems (probably because of the substrate that she was kept on as this is the biggest killer of captive elephants in zoos) Now Maggie is alone. Local residents are trying to persuade the zoo to allow Maggie to go to a sanctuary. Please give your support. HOW YOU CAN HELP
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