Animal rights advocates have raised serious concerns about two elephants, Happy and Patty, at the Bronx Zoo, urging the city to intervene and relocate them to a sanctuary. Past legal efforts to transfer Happy were blocked by the New York Court of Appeals, but renewed worries arose when she was seen laying on her side last year. In response, a city council member has proposed legislation to set strict standards for keeping elephants in the city. The zoo maintains that claims of distress are unfounded, asserting they are meeting the elephants' needs.
We implore the City, acting through its various agencies and the City Council, to relieve Happy's and Patty's obvious suffering and exercise its powers to allow them to live at an accredited sanctuary.
Animal rights advocates have been concerned about the elephants for years and have been closely watching the elephants for signs of poor health. In 2018, activists focused on Happy and filed a lawsuit to force her transfer.
The Bronx Zoo called the claims that Happy and Patty are in distress 'unfounded' and 'uninformed,' insisting its staff are serving the elephants' best interests.
City Council Member Shahana Hanif has introduced a bill to prohibit keeping an elephant in the city unless very specific standards are met, aiming for better animal welfare.
Collection
[
|
...
]