“A gilded cage is still a cage.” – New York Court of Appeals Judge Jenny Rivera writing in support of Happy’s release from the Bronx Zoo
Last week, the New York Court of Appeals issued a decision in Happy’s case and unfortunately chose not to order her release to a sanctuary. While the majority failed to understand what Happy’s case was actually about, we received two powerful dissenting opinions (beginning on p. 18 at this link) that will help us in our continued fight for nonhuman animal rights. Right now, as we assess our legal options for Happy, you can help #FreeHappy and #FreePatty, the other elephant the Bronx Zoo forces to live alone, today.
After almost a lifetime in captivity, Happy and Patty deserve to be freed from their imprisonment at the Bronx Zoo, which can’t meet elephants’ complex needs. That’s why we’re calling on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s ex-officio trustees (who hold these roles because they’re elected officials in certain positions) to help #FreeHappy and #FreePatty by publicly calling on the Bronx Zoo to close their elephant exhibit and send the elephants to a sanctuary.
What we need you to do:
1. Complete this action alert to urge the Wildlife Conservation Society’s ex-officio trustees to use their positions to help #FreeHappy and #FreePatty, the other elephant the Bronx Zoo forces to live alone, by publicly calling on the Bronx Zoo to close their elephant exhibit and send the elephants to a sanctuary (note: WCS manages the Bronx Zoo).
2. After completing the action alert, send this tweet to the trustees: Attn @TheWCS ex-officio trustees @NYCSpeakerAdams, @bronxbp @NYCComptroller, @ReynosoBrooklyn, & @NYCMayor. The @BronxZoo is holding two elephants, each alone, on a tiny 1-acre lot. Please call for the zoo to #FreeHappy and #FreePatty to a sanctuary that can meet their needs.
3. Next, tweet at the Bronx Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Society asking them to #FreeHappy and #FreePatty. A sample tweet is: Happy & Patty have spent over 45 years imprisoned at the Bronx Zoo in a barren 1-acre enclosure. Both elephants are held alone, without the necessary companionship of other elephants. It’s time for the @BronxZoo & @theWCS to #FreeHappy & #FreePatty to an elephant sanctuary. You can also find sample tweets and graphics on this blog post. Additionally, you can tweet out the action alert with the hashtags #FreeHappy and #FreePatty.
4. Read and share the #FreeHappy campaign page on the other ways you can help Happy.Note: The social media action items are for Twitter. If you don’t have Twitter or would prefer to advocate on another social media platform, you can help by sharing our action alert and this blog post on your preferred platforms.
As we’ll be emphasizing in the weeks to come, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Bronx Zoo don’t need a court order to do the right thing for these elephants.
Thank you for your support for elephants’ right to live freely!