Trifter

Image via Wikipedia

In 1966 Jack Snyder a grocer from Fairbanks, Alaska won a Chiffon tissue contest sponsored by Crown Zellerbach. First prize was a choice between $3,000 cash and a baby elephant. Much to everyone’s surprise he chose the elephant, a two year old Asian female named Annabell.

Now Annabell might have been a baby, but she was still an elephant, and all of a sudden Mr. Snyder was confronted with one very big problem. He had no way to keep Annabell warm during the long cold Alaskan Winters.

The solution to his problem came in the form of one Sammye Seawall, the owner of a horse ranch in Anchorage known as as the Diamond H horse Ranch. It seems Sammye had the only heated stalls to be found in Alaska, and she was willing to make a home for poor Annabell.

Annabell seemed to like the Diamond H well enough, and the residence of Anchorage were certainly fascinated by Annabell. It didn’t take long before Annabell had her own little following. She was quite the popular young lady!

Ms. Seawall noting the people’s interest in Annabell, decided that with a little help from her friends and other concerned citizens she could start an educational zoo where people could come and learn about animals. So in 1969, what was to become the Alaska zoo opened it doors.

However, as Annabell grew she missed the company of her own kind. So in 1983, the zoo acquired Maggie, an African elephant to be Annabell’s companion. The two elephants lived together for the next 14 years until Annabell’s death in 1997.

Maggie was left alone.

All sorts of people demanded that the Alaska zoo send Maggie some place where she could enjoy the company of other elephants. The zoo refused. They gave several reasons, but I suspect the real reason they wanted to keep Maggie was that the people who had spent time with Maggie and Annabell had grown attached to her and did not want to part with what had become their beloved Maggie.

They did however want her to be happy, so they built her a bigger barn, and an elephant size tread mill to see that she could plenty of exercise. They played with her every day, and saw she had many toys to keep her entertained. In short, they did every thing they could to keep Maggie happy and see that she was not lonely.

Most of all they wanted what was best for their elephant. So in 2007, they made the heartbreaking decision to send Maggie to an elephant Sanctuary. Maggie was moved to PAWS sanctuary in California.

The Alaska zoo that once had two elephants now does not have any. But they fondly remember their two girls, Maggie and Annabell and many of the residents there still talk about them.

Years from now the story of Annabell and Maggie will become another of Alaska’s folklore, steeped in fact but the story will grow richer with countless tellings.