Court rules zoo elephant “Happy” is not human
– –
Status: 09:37 a.m
– – –Nobody: Elephant “Happy” at the New York Zoo in a photo from 2018
Those: dpa / Bebeto Matthews
– –
You can listen to our WELT podcasts here
– –
Animal rights activists are demanding that the female elephant “Happy” be classified as a person. Then the animal would have been illegally “imprisoned” in a zoo in the Bronx and could be freed. However, a US court did not want to agree with the view.
– – –
ENew York Court of Appeals declared zoo elephant Happy an animal. The female elephant could not be considered a person illegally confined at the Bronx Zoo, ruled the court on Tuesday (local time). The highly publicized case tested the limits of applying human rights to animals.
The zoo and its supporters warned that a victory for plaintiff’s attorneys, Nonhuman Rights Projects, could open the door to further legal action on behalf of animals, including pets and livestock. The court mostly followed this line of reasoning, saying: While no one disputes that elephants are intelligent beings who deserve proper care and compassion, personal liberties should protect humans and do not apply to animals like Happy.
The plaintiff had invoked the habeas corpus process, which allows people to challenge illegal detentions. Extending that right to Happy to challenge their placement in a zoo would have a destabilizing effect on modern society, the ruling said. Granting legal personality in such a case would affect how people treat animals. The decision confirmed the judgment of a previous instance and cannot be appealed.
– – – – –
– – – – –
