Bye Maggie! UPDATE

So Maggie the Elephant is on her way to California to live in an animal sanctuary, thanks to Bob Barker. This news is a culmination of a difficult struggle in Anchorage over the welfare of the elephant living in Alaska.

We saw Maggie last weekend at her goodbye party. Our little zoo was packed by children and parents braving the cold to see Maggie for the last time in her elephant house. The zoo has, I think, done everything they could to give Maggie a warm and healthy environment, and so it's sad for everyone involved.

The journey for Maggie includes a big crate in a huge air force plane, a 16 hour transfer from Air Force bases, and a rush to get Maggie to the sanctuary before traffic hits tomorrow. I wish her well in her new life and hope that California takes care of Alaska's favorite elephant.

UPDATE:
Maggie is doing fine in her new home -- here's a webcam where you can see for yourself. She is in the near pen.