Maggie, the 25-year-old African elephant who captured the hearts of Anchorage for much of her life, arrived at her new Northern California home safely Friday after the successful journey dubbed “Operation Maggie Migration.”
By mid-morning, Maggie was swinging her trunk around her new barn, checking out the unfamiliar sights and sounds. By mid-afternoon, she was sunbathing and eating California green grass and chasing birds.
She was even trumpeting and mock-charging the other elephants, separated from her by a protective fence, said Pat Derby, president of the sanctuary that is Maggie’s new digs, run by the Performing Animal Welfare Society.Maggie left Anchorage on Thursday night on a C-17 Air Force jet after months of planning to move her. The trip was a $400,000 operation, funded by a $750,000 donation from former game show host Bob Barker. The leftover money will be used by the Performing Animal Welfare Society to support Maggie.
