It's been weeks since Maggie's first health scare, but those who want the elephant to move from Alaska down to the Lower 48 are still as passionate as ever. Dozens of people protested downtown at the Delaney Park Strip Friday, divided about how best to care for Maggie the elephant.
The rally on Delaney Park Strip began with loud cries from the group, Friends of Maggie. They say the elephant should be moved out of the Alaska Zoo and to a warmer climate, among other pachyderms.
And then a group of small, but mighty voices were heard, with a different demand and an opinion of their own.
"Well I don't think she's really that sick. She's been here for five, well, her whole life, and she has no problems here," said Gabby Hindman who wants Maggie at the Alaska Zoo.
But pressure on the zoo is mounting from groups who say otherwise, like Friends of Maggie and PETA--which has offered to pay for the elephant's moving expenses. There is also pressure from the Anchorage Assembly, which passed a resolution asking the zoo to expedite the move.
In the weeks since Maggie's first health scare, there have been several rallies demanding her release.
"People aren't going to give up until there's a solution here to Maggie's condition. And it isn't to stay in Alaska, isolated from her own kind at 24-years-old when she could live another 40 years," said the president of Friends of Maggie, Penelope Wells.
But not everyone wants to see Maggie go. One kid goes to the zoo every two weeks, mostly to see the
elephant.
"We just came back from Disneyland and San Diego Animal Park. And our three grandchildren just see elephants and they don't call them elephants, they call them Maggies because they just love Maggie," said Glennis Ireland who wants Maggie at the Alaska Zoo.
Whether Alaskans want Maggie to stay or go, one thing is clear: people young and old who love the elephant will continue to speak out on her behalf.
No firm decisions have been made yet about what to do with Maggie. The zoo is expected to make a decision early next week. Of course, CBS 11 News will keep you posted with any new developments.
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