BREAKING NEWS – Bronx, New York – Happy the Elephant, a resident of the Bronx Zoo in New York, is being considered for release by the state’s top court. Happy, 51, has lived in the zoo since 1977. However, an animal rights group launched a coordinated campaign to free her in 2018, declaring Happy eligible for the rights of a “person” under New York law.
“Held in isolation elephants become bored, depressed, aggressive, catatonic and fail to thrive,” Nonhuman Rights Project wrote. “Human caregivers are no substitute for the numerous, complex social relationships and the rich gestural and vocal communication exchanges that occur between free-living elephants. If Happy is freed and decides to live in the area, our next court battle will be to mandate all public facilities and businesses in the state, to build accommodating bathrooms.”