Photo by Lee Pulaski/Lake Powell Chronicle Voices of the Wild chairwoman Freddie Hancock speaks during the citizens portion of the Page City Council meeting Thursday as Vice Mayor John Cook and Councilor Cecilia Cobb look on. Hancock told the council that she moved the two living giraffes to an “undisclosed location.”

PAGE – Last Friday, some of the employees at Unlimited Houseboats on Haul Road found it difficult working at their place of business as a stench filling the air began making them feel ill.

When an Unlimited Houseboats employee came inside and complained to fellow employee David Vine, he called the Page Police Department and said the smell was believed to be coming from the business next door. Police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians quickly arrived on the scene and made a grisly discovery when searching for the cause of the odor.

The smell stemmed from two decomposing giraffe carcasses lying on a flatbed truck in the back of Unlimited Houseboats neighboring business Lake Powell Waterworld. Covered with a tarp, the strong reek permeated the air, causing the Unlimited Houseboats employees to not be able to perform their duties outside without unpleasantness.

“There was a God-awful smell that got worse as the day warmed up,” Vine said. “It was uncomfortable to work in.”

While emergency responders were trying to track down employees inside Lake Powell Waterworld, business owners Freddie and Tommy Hancock were found at the Banjoko Wildlife Preserve asking the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office to give them more time to remove items from the property.

Freddie Hancock, who serves as director of the Voices of the Wild Foundation, was served a 48-hour writ of removal last week giving her until 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 to clear the property of all structures and personal items, and restore the land to its original condition.

Despite Hancock’s claims during the Page City Council meeting on Jan. 28 that VWF was working around the clock removing items from the property, a Page P.D. spokesperson said that part of a building structure was left behind, as well as tires, buckets of oil, and “junk.”

The police spokesperson said that Hancock and VWF associates left “vocally” while being escorted from the property at 1:45 p.m. by the sheriff’s department.

The rented city property was not returned to its original condition, as was a term of lease, with the altered land including the uncovered gravesites to the two giraffes.

The deaths of the two giraffes have been the subject of a Page P.D. investigation after Hancock claimed she believed the animals were poisoned.

The first giraffe died Nov. 20 while Hancock was in court fighting against the eviction notice filed by the city of Page for nonpayment of rent and failure to provide a required $100,000 surety deposit to return the leased Banjoko Wildlife Preserve property to its original condition. When the second giraffe died Jan. 2, Hancock requested the police investigate, claiming she believed foul play was involved.

Scottsdale veterinary pathologist Dr. Richard Hoffman performed necropsies on both giraffes, but has only released the results from the giraffe that died Nov. 20. Hoffman stated he found no signs of toxins or foul play, and asked the city to extend VWF an additional four months on the property. Hoffman claimed moving giraffes in cold weather could stress them, yet Hancock moved the animals last week to an undisclosed location.

Hancock has now buried the two dead giraffes behind Lake Powell Waterworld and the city attorney’s office is looking into whether or not the interment in a commercial zone is prohibited by any city ordinance, state of Arizona or health department laws.

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