Anchorage Annabelle and Binky Memories
How the Alaska Zoo got its start
If you live in Alaska, or used to, you probably know what the above photo is all about. But more about this picture in a moment.
This look at the Alaska Zoo, located in Anchorage, starts with an interesting story.
What’s Behind Door Number Three?
The title above refers to a TV game show called “Let’s Make a Deal.” The story that follows is sort of like that show.
In 1966, Jack Snyder, the owner of the S&F Foodland grocery store, located at Minnesota Drive and Spenard Road (did you shop there?), entered a contest.
The contest was run by the good folks who make Chiffon toilet paper. It was simple: the grocery store that sold the most Chiffon TP would get a prize.
Mr. Snyder won. We guess that Anchorage needed a lot of TP that year.
As it turned out, Snyder had two choices for his prize.
Behind door number one was a $3,000 cash prize. Not bad. Behind door number two was a real-life, 400-pound baby Indian elephant named Annabelle. No one knows what was behind door number three.
Well, for some reason (perhaps he was an animal lover), Mr. Snyder decided to take the door number two prize, the Elephant.
Not Since the Ice Age
It had been a really long time (the Ice Age) since Alaska had seen a 400-pound baby elephant stomping around in the Great Land. And by the way, baby Annabelle was known to eat 60 pounds of food a day on her way to becoming a full-grown elephant.
Because Annabelle was such a rare sight in Anchorage, she used to make personal appearances at Foodland and other places around town. Annabelle quickly became a local celebrity.
Fast-forward to 1969, when the “Alaska Children’s Zoo” opened with Annabelle the elephant as the featured attraction, along with assorted animals that were donated.
Annabelle Was Also an Artist
In the picture above, Anchorage artist Dianne Barske works with Annabelle as the elephant creates her latest painting. She was an artist, yes, she was.
A Fitting Tribute
Annabelle passed away on December 15, 1997. And she was so loved that she was buried in the Alaska Zoo, where the large marker pictured above pays tribute.
Yes, You Can Share This Edition
And when you do, your friends and family will be so excited that they will give you your own tropical island hideaway, complete with a mansion and a beach named after you… well, it could happen.
Binky the Polar Bear
Binky poses with a tennis shoe. More about the shoe in a moment.
Another zoo favorite was Binky the polar bear.
Back in 1975, Binky was an orphaned cub who was found near Cape Beaufort on the North Slope of Alaska.
When Binky was brought to the Alaska Zoo, Mike of Anchorage Memories was a news videographer and was sent to the Zoo with KTVA channel 11 reporter Tom Miller to get video of the cute little polar bear cub.
At the zoo, Mike was let inside a small enclosure with the cub.
“Binky was just this tiny ball of white fur and was very curious about me and my video camera. At one point I sat the camera down on the floor and Binky came up and licked the front of the lens. That remarkable footage was seen that evening on the channel 11, 6 o’clock news.”
Some years later, Mike, our children Nikki and Chris, and I visited the zoo and went to see Binky, who was full-grown and weighed 1,200 pounds. Mike remembered Binky, but was sure that Binky didn’t remember him.
Binky and the Shoe
On July 29, 1994, a 29-year-old woman became a news headline around the world when she decided to get closer to Binky, so she could take a picture of the Polar Bear.
The woman jumped the safety rails, and Binky stuck his head through the bars and grabbed her. The woman survived, but Binky had her shoe in his mouth (see the picture above). Binky kept the shoe for 3 days before zoo officials were able to retrieve it.
BONUS
You can read more about Binky the Polar Bear and remember when.
So here’s the question
If you had won the Chiffon Toilet Paper sales contest, would you have chosen the $3,000 prize or the 400-pound baby Indian elephant?
Send a Message to Mike and Mary Jane
Did you answer the burning question? Would you have taken the $3,000 cash prize, or the 400-pound baby Indian elephant that consumed 60 pounds of food every day?
Until next time
Mike and Mary Jane
The Anchorage Memories Club
The artist with Binky is Dianne Barske a well known local artist who has since retired outside.
I lived in Bruin Park off of O'Malley Rd. from '64-'75, my buddy lived across from the Diamond H Ranch and I remember when the Zoo opened how surprised we were that someone would open a Zoo there. But then again there were also Lions in Mt. View back then.