The subject of whether or not an elephant can be considered a person is now being discussed before the highest court in the state of New York.
On Wednesday, a decision will be made by a judge about the legal standing of elephants as individuals.
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The decision about whether or not to release Happy the Elephant, a resident of the Bronx Zoo for many years, is currently being considered by an appeals court in the state of New York. It has been more than forty years since Happy was originally brought to the zoo. In 2018, an animal rights organization campaigned for her freedom, arguing that under the law of the state of New York, she has the same rights as a “person” and should therefore be set free.
According to research published by the Nonhuman Rights Project, elephants who are kept in isolation “become bored and dejected, angry, and catatonic.” Even though people can provide care, they are not able to replace the numerous, complex social relationships that elephants have with one another or their extensive use of vocal and gestural communication.
