Concerned over Maggie the elephant's inactive lifestyle, authorities at an Alaska zoo decided to call in firefighters to help stand the pudgy pachyderm back on her feet. The 7,500-pound Maggie had been lying down on the ground for about 12 hours and zookeepers were worried that the elephant may suffer breathing and other problems due to its massive weight and may even die if it stayed inactive for too long.

A crew of 17 firefighters from Anchorage Fire Department used straps, a winch and their muscle power to lift Maggie on Sunday. It took several hours before Maggie was up on her feet again.

It was alarming to see "how badly she was looking," Young Suenram, battalion chief at Anchorage Fire Department told UPI. "We worked at trying to get her up as soon as possible. We are just so ecstatic that she's up now."

Animal right activists have long protested for Maggie's relocation to another zoo. Maggie is the only elephant in Alaska after the death of her companion in 1997. Activists have said that 10 years of solitary confinement could be one of the reasons for Maggie's condition.

However, zoo authorities claim that the animal might have had colic and that only blood test reports will determine exact status of her health.