Glad the elephant will NOT be released from the Bronx Zoo…after New York’s highest court ruled that the animal is not legally a person and therefore not illegally held.
The Court of Appeal’s decision was released on Tuesday … a 5-2 ruling rejecting an animal rights organization’s argument that Happy deserves the same liberty rights as a human being.
05/19/22
Youtube/Non-Human Rights Project
Remember…the Nonhuman Rights Project sued to get Happy out of the zoo and moved to a larger sanctuary, arguing that the Asian elephant is worthy of the protections given to people as cognitively complex and autonomous animal. Happy was captured in Asia in the 70s when she was just one year old and has been at the Bronx Zoo ever since.
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The question before the court…whether the writ of habeas corpus – which humans use to challenge unlawful confinement – should apply to super-intelligent animals like elephants. The judges decided no.
It’s interesting…the ruling noted the potential snowball effect legally recognizing Happy as a person could have on society, with Chief Justice Janet DiFiore noting that there could be “a huge destabilizing impact on society modern”.
However, two judges dissented, saying Happy shouldn’t be prevented from having certain liberty rights just because she’s an animal.
NRP tells TMZ … they applaud two judges’ “powerful” dissents, which show the fight for nonhuman animal rights has only just begun.
Our sincere thanks to
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