Maggie the elephant moves to California

SAN ANRDEAS, Calif., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Alaska's only elephant, Maggie, is preparing to start a new life in San Andreas, Calif., at the Performing Animal Welfare Society.

The Alaska Zoo Board announced Thursday that the Bob Barker-endorsed PAWS was awarding Maggie an all-expense-paid trip and a new life at the sanctuary, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Maggie will live in a 75-acre enclosure with four other African elephants as well as have access to an indoor 20,000-square-foot barn, complete with an elephant-sized jacuzzi where she can fully submerge to rest her feet.

The board meeting for the Alaska Zoo ended in a unanimous agreement to send the elephant off to PAWS, board President Dick Thwaites said in the newspaper article. Although, the details of the move still need to be worked out, he said.

"We wanted to get this done before the snow flies," Alaska Zoo Director Pat lampi told the Daily News. "We chose PAWS because of their facilities and staffing, and we wanted to make the best choice for Maggie."

Barker said he would donate $750,000 to care for her if she were moved to PAWS.