The 53-year-old Asian elephant Happy has not been seen in her enclosure at the Bronx Zoo for over a month. Animal rights organizations, activists, and zoo visitors are worried about her well-being.
Reporters from the New York Post visited the zoo in in New York on Thursday and Friday. They did not see the elephant. Happy is probably hiding out in a small barn within her enclosure, which is not “normal behavior” for an elephant, Courtney Fern of the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) told the New York Post. Fern added that something is “seriously wrong” with her.
“She could be choosing not to go outside because she is depressed and has lost the will to live, and going outside no longer brings her joy. Or she could be in pain,” Fern said.
The elephant’s absence has been the subject of growing controversy and mystery. So far, no official explanation has been provided by zoo authorities, leading to escalating public speculation and frustration.
NhRP has long argued that Happy’s confinement in the zoo is a violation of her rights as a sentient being. The ongoing uncertainty about Happy’s status has only intensified their advocacy efforts.
NhRP filed a lawsuit arguing that Happy should be recognized as a legal person with the right to freedom. The lawsuit aimed to move Happy from the zoo to an elephant sanctuary, where she could live out her remaining years in more natural surroundings.
Although the New York Court of Appeals ultimately ruled against NhRP in 2022, the case drew widespread attention to the conditions of elephants in captivity and sparked a broader conversation about animal rights.
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