IDA Calls For Federal Investigation of Alaska Zoo
Appeal sent to USDA after Maggie the elephant is found prone in enclosure

After two recent incidents during which Maggie, the lone elephant at the Alaska Zoo, was found prone and unable to stand up, IDA called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately investigate the Alaska Zoo and assess the condition of Maggie's health.

"IDA is concerned that Maggie's intense and solitary confinement at Alaska Zoo may have caused damage to her feet and/or joints and other problems that put her life in imminent danger," wrote IDA president Elliot M. Katz, DVM, in a letter to the USDA. "The fact that she went down and could not right herself is a clear sign that something is very wrong."

IDA asked the USDA to examine Maggie and review her medical records to determine whether she is suffering from foot disease, arthritis, or colic/digestive disorders, and whether she is being maintained on anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers. Katz said that these drugs can mask Maggie's symptoms in the short term, but can be toxic to her internal organs over the long term.

As a private facility not subject to state open records laws, Alaska Zoo has withheld veterinary records documenting Maggie's physical condition from the public. This in itself is cause for concern, as foot and joint disease in elephants are linked to cramped quarters, lack of exercise, and standing on hard surfaces like concrete, often in feces and urine. Maggie is especially prone to such unhealthy conditions, as she must live completely indoors during the harsh Alaskan winter, constantly walking and standing on hard concrete.

In December 1997, Maggie's long-time elephant companion, Annabelle, also collapsed and could not right herself. News reports indicate that Annabelle was "so sick with infection in her foot and hurting so badly that she couldn't stand up anymore." She was euthanized at age 33, half an elephant's natural lifespan.

In light of the dangers, IDA also called on the Alaska Zoo to make Maggie's veterinary records public. "This is a life and death situation," Katz concluded. "If Alaska Zoo procrastinates further in transferring Maggie to a sanctuary, the zoo will be responsible for the death of another elephant."

Katz said that if Maggie is suffering from foot and/or joint disease or other zoo-induced conditions, another winter of confinement in her small concrete stall would almost certainly exacerbate her condition and lead to a painful and early death. He asked the USDA to intervene and force the Alaska Zoo to send Maggie to a sanctuary with the space, climate, and conditions elephants need to thrive.

To learn more, visit www.helpelephants.com