Bronx, Dec 17, 2020 –  The following statement was released today by the Bronx Zoo: “Today, the Bronx Zoo won again in the courts. So did common sense. The Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department rejected the NonHuman Rights Project’s (NhRP) erroneous arguments in its lawsuit against the Bronx Zoo seeking to expand the writ of habeas corpus to apply to Happy, one of the Bronx Zoo’s Asian elephants. The NhRP sought to have...

The New York State Supreme Court in Orleans County today ruled that a habeas corpus petition filed by the NonHuman Rights Project (NRP) -- claiming Happy, a 47 year old Asian elephant at the Bronx Zoo, should have the same rights as a  person – would be more properly heard in Bronx County. Today’s ruling is the latest in a long series of losses for this group as they desperately seek ways to use the courts to advance their agenda. Similar petitions brought by NRP in all four judicial departments in the State of New York, as well as a court in Connecticut, have been rejected on the merits.