2004 Alaska Zoo Report Admits Inability to Care for Maggie the Elephant

Zoo violating federal animal welfare law for years

San Rafael, Calif.—A 2004 Alaska Zoo Board report acknowledged that the Zoo could not properly care for Maggie the elephant, In Defense of Animals (IDA) revealed today. In a letter to the USDA, IDA charged that, by its own admission, the Alaska Zoo has been violating the federal Animal Welfare Act for years by failing to provide adequate care and conditions for the 27-year-old elephant.

IDA is calling on the USDA to immediately remove Maggie from the Zoo. The group said that the two critical incidents last week, during which Maggie was found prone and unable to stand back up on her own, made this a life and death situation.

“It is outrageous that the Alaska Zoo selfishly refused to move Maggie despite its own acknowledgement that it could not properly care for her,” said IDA president Elliot Katz, DVM. “Given the death of Maggie’s companion Annabelle ten years ago from zoo-induced foot disease, the Zoo’s decision to keep Maggie could literally have been a death sentence.”

In a June 9, 2004 report, an Alaska Zoo Board of Directors committee that included former director Tex Edwards and board member John Seawell, admitted, “Our management system is limited to our resources and training. We are currently unable to do basic health management procedures.”

Edwards appeared to anticipate future health problems related to Maggie’s captive conditions, noting, “Maggie is healthy now, but if she develops a medical condition that would be alleviated by a different climate or other winter housing she should be moved as soon as possible.”

The IDA letter cited additional documentation of the Zoo’s inability to care for Maggie, including:

  • Lack of emergency equipment and protocols. Alaska Zoo had to call in the Anchorage Fire Department, and firefighters were forced to search the Internet for ideas on how to lift her.

  • Lack of equipment necessary to manage and monitor Maggie’s health. The Zoo lacks an elephant restraint device for veterinary treatment and husbandry purposes, and a scale, which is necessary for determining drug dosages.

  • Lack of a veterinarian with expertise in elephants.

“The USDA should have held Alaska Zoo accountable years ago for violating the Animal Welfare Act by failing to adequately house and care for Maggie,” said Katz. “Now the situation is life and death. The USDA must take immediate steps to ensure that Maggie is transferred to a sanctuary without delay.”

A copy of IDA’s letter to the USDA is available upon request. For more information, please visit www.helpelephants.com.