Maggie the elephant happy with new home

Anchorage, Alaska -- A 25-year-old African elephant named Maggie is safe and apparently very happy to be in her new California home after traveling all the way from Alaska.

The Anchorage Daily News said that based on the enthusiastic actions of Maggie in her new home on Friday, "Operation Maggie Migration" was an unequivocal success.

Pat Derby, who runs the Northern California facility that Maggie will now call home, said that the pachyderm has had few problems adapting to the warmer climate and new surroundings.

"She's doing great," Derby said. "She's very calm."

Maggie's calm exterior is also striking due to the fact that the elephant had not seen another member of its species in a decade.

But Derby said Maggie immediately assimilated to her surroundings and in no time was playfully charging her fellow pachyderms.

Overall, Derby said the only aspect of her new California lifestyle that Maggie doesn't like is the available artichokes.

"Apparently, she's not a California girl," he told the Daily News.

© 2007 United Press International.