KTUU.Com
August 27, 2007
By Steve MacDonald

Original Article

He was the face of the Price is Right for 35 years. Since retiring, Bob Barker is putting his face on the welfare, and the future, of Alaska's prize elephant. The Price is Right star came to Alaska Monday to offer big bucks, hoping to get Maggie out of Alaska.

The Performing Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS has brought out the big guns. Now with Barker on their side, they're making an offer to get Maggie to move to California.

"Come on down," is exactly what Barker wants Maggie to do--all the way to California.

"Moving Maggie to PAWS will not cost the zoo, or the taxpayers of this city one cent, not a penny. So the price is right," said Barker.ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An animal sanctuary has enhanced its bid to relocate Maggie, Alaska's lone African elephant, to northern California.

This morning, the Performing Animal Welfare Society, better known as PAWS, came to Anchorage and delivered its offer for Maggie in person. The group also brought in a well-known celebrity to make the pitch.

On Monday animal activist Barker and the PAWS Sanctuary Pat Lampi of the Alaska Zoo made the zoo an offer to fund Maggie's entire move out of Alaska, including her training, health care and airfare. They're even going to throw in a hundred grand for the zoo to use however it wants. "It's a very generous offer. And once we get the final details of the other option for Maggie, then I hope the board will move forward and make a decision," said Pat Lampi of the Alaska Zoo.

PAWS wants Maggie to come live on its 100-acre sanctuary in Galt, Calif., and has offered an all-expenses-paid trip. PAWS describes its sanctuary as "elephant heaven," with 100 acres of trees, ponds and mud.

The PAWS people hope their sanctuary for retired zoo and circus animals, a 2,400 acre plot of land in northern California complete with trees, mud holes--and even an elephant Jacuzzi, will be the big winner in the fight over Maggie.

"So far as I'm concerned, there is only one place for any elephant that's been in captivity; and that's the PAWS Sanctuary in northern California," said Barker.

The final decision could be coming soon. Zoo officials say the PAWS Sanctuary is on a short list of top contenders to take Alaska's only elephant.

"A lot of things have to fall into place, but if it can be done before winter, great," said Lampi. In the meantime, oblivious to her international stardom, Maggie will ham it up for the local crowds, while the rest of the world waits to see where the elephant will end up.

The PAWS Sanctuary is the favorite choice of animal rights groups nationwide. In fact, Barker believes in PAWS so much, he's even offered to put up three quarters of a million dollars of his own cash to take care of Maggie for the rest of her life.
The final decision has to be made by the zoo's board of directors.

The well known animal rights group also flew in former "The Price is Right" host Bob Barker to lend some star power to its message.

PAWS co-founder Ed Stewart said moving Maggie is a deal the zoo should not pass up, and Barker reiterated that message in a press conference.

"Moving Maggie to PAWS will not cost the zoo or the tax payers of this city one penny. Not a cent. So the price is right," Barker said.

Barker's presence in Anchorage seemed to sweeten the deal even more. The animal rights advocates said the move to California will not only be good for Maggie's health, but also a financial boom for the Alaska Zoo.

"One of PAWS benefactors is going to make a contribution of $100,000 to the zoo. And the zoo's board of directors can use that $100,000 anyway it sees fit," Barker said.

Barker isn't just lending his celebrity to the cause. He too is ready to open his wallet.

"I agreed to make a $750,000 contribution to PAWS' sanctuary in California for the specific purpose of making life as good as possible for Maggie," Barker said.

Barker said he became interested in Maggie's situation several months ago.

"I received a letter at the studio from someone here in Anchorage who was concerned about Maggie," Barker said.

Maggie collapsed twice earlier this year. Alaska Zoo officials said it was due to a bout of colic.

Alaska Zoo Director Pat Lampi said the board of directors is not ready to make a decision on Maggie's relocation, and the public will have to wait a bit longer to find out whether or not PAWS' offer is good enough.

"It's a very generous offer that PAWS made," Lampi said. "We have one more site visit that another facility is doing to find out what their response is after seeing and visiting Maggie."

Lampi won't divulge the name of that facility and will only say that the visit will be soon.

He hopes the board will make its decision on Maggie's future home shortly thereafter.

With the news conference complete, Barker went to the zoo to meet the object of his affections for the first time.

Maggie is healing well and seems energized, Barker said.

"Happy to see her on her feet for one thing and moving around the way she is," Barker said.

Barker said he'll be even happier if someday soon he sees Maggie roaming around a sanctuary in California.

Lampi said he expects to get a lot more public pressure once news of PAWS' offer begins to circulate.

Once it's decided where Maggie will go, it's not known how long it will take her to get ready to move Outside. Stewart said he's had elephants trained to enter a crate for shipping in three days. He's said he's also seen that process take up to three months.

He said it would be completely up to Maggie to decide when she would be ready. In fact, Stewart calls it elephant time.

But if the zoo decides that paws is the place for Maggie, she would be with 11 other elephants that call the sanctuary home.