Maggie Arrives Safely at PAWS Sanctuary

U.S. Air Force pilots successfully complete Operation Maggie Migration


Maggie arrives at her new home.

Anchorage, Alaska--After 25 years, Maggie the elephant has finally made the move from a tiny enclosure at the Alaska Zoo to her new home at the Performing Animal Welfare Society elephant sanctuary in Northern California. Members of In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection organization, which for years worked with local activists to secure her move, are celebrating Maggie’s safe arrival.

This historic trip included a five-hour flight in a temperature-controlled crate aboard a United States Air Force C-17 cargo plane from Alaska to Travis Air Force Base, followed by an 85-mile drive in a flatbed truck to PAWS. Maggie arrived safely on schedule at the sanctuary at 6:30 this morning.

For too long, Maggie suffered extreme deprivation at the Alaska Zoo from lack of space, frigid temperatures, and a decade of solitude as the only elephant in the state. IDA and others forcefully argued that the same poor living conditions and lack of proper veterinary care that killed Maggie’s longtime companion Annabelle in 1997 would cause Maggie to develop foot and joint disorders that could be the end of her, too.

"Maggie’s journey is a hopeful symbol of the journey all captive elephants should be on from inadequate zoo conditions to sanctuary-like facilities with the space and conditions they need to thrive," said Elliot M. Katz, DVM, president of IDA. "We are so happy that the Alaska Zoo finally agreed to do what is best for Maggie."

Maggie is the third elephant to move to a sanctuary this year. With Maggie’s departure, Alaska Zoo becomes the 13th U.S. zoo, including those in major cities like Detroit, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New York, who have closed or plan to close their elephant exhibits.

Learn more about IDA’s efforts to win Maggie’s release at www.helpelephants.com/alaska_zoo.html.

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