Bronx Zoo Happy the elephant 'unlawfully imprisoned' lawsuit claims

Would like to hear thoughts about Happy at Bronx Zoo. When I was last there I hadn't heard of her, but on the Asia Monorail, saw a lone elephant and was surprised as I know elephants live in herds and have close families. I think Patty, also at Bronx, is alone. Why is Bronx so adamnat about not releasing her to a sanctuary?
 
Reenie Mastrella said:
Would like to hear thoughts about Happy at Bronx Zoo. When I was last there I hadn't heard of her, but on the Asia Monorail, saw a lone elephant and was surprised as I know elephants live in herds and have close families. I think Patty, also at Bronx, is alone. Why is Bronx so adamnat about not releasing her to a sanctuary?
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This has been covered several times in here, if you use the search function (you've even posted in one of them). In short, Happy enjoys being alone. Just like some people prefer to be, even though we're a social species, too. There are very few legit sanctuaries, and those that exist are not equipped to handle an animal who needs to be kept in a yard by herself. The zoo staff know her and her likes, quirks, and health. They are most capable of caring for her.
 
StoppableSan said:
Legal Fight to Free Happy the Elephant Continues in New York
They are at it again. Worst part about it is, they don't even care about Patty. Patty can go kick rocks, while Happy gets all the attention and media scrutiny. What a bunch of house-proud town mice. Just sponsor toys for Happy and Patty and call it a day
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I hope the appeal is thrown out of court. This is unnecessary and a blatant waste of people's time and money. ARA's certainly are very sore losers; rather, they can't stand losing and will fight to the last claw.
 
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StoppableSan said:
Legal Fight to Free Happy the Elephant Continues in New York
They are at it again. Worst part about it is, they don't even care about Patty. Patty can go kick rocks, while Happy gets all the attention and media scrutiny. What a bunch of house-proud town mice. Just sponsor toys for Happy and Patty and call it a day
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Why? Happy is fine. These people act like animal experts while stopping the actual experts from doing their work. It's tiring seeing ARAs claiming to care about animals while hurting them and those who care for them. They need a new name.

Sorry if I went a little overboard, it's just hard to hear this stuff, and I feel terrible for the keepers.
 
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Bengal Tiger said:
Awfully reminiscent of an angry kindergartner or a spoiled middle schooler. No maturity whatsoever.
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Indeed not, but mind you they're not stupid either. Willfully ignorant in many cases, but note how much money they have to fight cases all the way to the highest level. Many people like to consider them stupid, but unfortunately that isn't the truth.
 
Corangurilla said:
So these animal rights activists want to make it so that Bronx only has one elephant? Hypocrites.
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Should they win (heaven forbid) then the same rules would automatically apply to Patty and all other elephants in the state of NY no? The highest court would have already set the precedent. ;)
 
I wonder how one makes the legal case that elephants, being sentient individuals, should live in some unnamed sanctuary rather than at the zoo. Did the elephants express their preference? Book a stay through Expedia? Check out options on Zillow?
You'd think that logically if they were granted legal "personhood" the only option would be to expel them from the zoo (unless they can pay the admission) to wander through the Bronx and look for a suitable apartment. Knowing housing costs in NYC, I say they will be homeless wards of the state within days.
 
So...
elephant.jpg
 
Zooplantman said:
I wonder how one makes the legal case that elephants, being sentient individuals, should live in some unnamed sanctuary rather than at the zoo. Did the elephants express their preference? Book a stay through Expedia? Check out options on Zillow?
You'd think that logically if they were granted legal "personhood" the only option would be to expel them from the zoo (unless they can pay the admission) to wander through the Bronx and look for a suitable apartment. Knowing housing costs in NYC, I say they will be homeless wards of the state within days.
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Honestly, I'd kind of love to see that. That is, the backlash and regret one everyone's face after an elephant rampages through the streets.
 
I wonder whether the zoo can sue the activists for harassment, or spreading falsehoods about it?

It is increasingly difficult to believe the activists act in good faith. I am afraid the real purpose may be media exposure and extra donations. The way to stop is to make sure the lawsuit does not give positive exposure or sympathy for them. Which is easier because animal charities are supposed to help animals, not to run lawsuits.

One possibility would be to challenge them to spend money on actual conservation – for example by matching one of WCS projects to fight poaching elephants in Africa. Which also would highlight that Bronx Zoo supports animals, but animal rights not necessarily so – in an inconvenient way to the activists.
 
Zooplantman said:
I wonder how one makes the legal case that elephants, being sentient individuals, should live in some unnamed sanctuary rather than at the zoo. Did the elephants express their preference?
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Even if one accepts that an elephant has legal rights, it did not appoint the activists to represent it. For a human, the legal representatives are by default relatives, but an elephant has no human relatives. The zoo can equally well appoint itself as the elephants proper legal representative and sue the sanctuary. And any big game hunter could then step up and claim he is even more proper legal representative.

Giving legal rights to animals, which cannot understand legal rights, is an inherently illogical idea, and results in tens of such paradoxes.
 
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