Dear John,

In May, the New York Court of Appeals granted the Nonhuman Rights Project’s motion for permission to appeal in our legal fight to #FreeHappy, marking the first time in history the highest court of any English-speaking jurisdiction will consider whether the right to liberty protected by habeas corpus may extend to a nonhuman being.

Right now the NhRP legal team is working nonstop on our brief, which lays out our arguments in support of Happy’s right to liberty and release from the Bronx Zoo to a sanctuary, including affidavits submitted by world-renowned elephant experts. This brief is due July 6th.

The Bronx Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society have until Aug. 21st to file a reply, to which we can file our own reply by Sept. 7th. We won’t know the date of oral arguments in Happy’s case until after this last filing deadline. We’re hoping the arguments will be in person and open to the public, COVID-19 public health guidelines permitting.

We know the long wait is difficult, especially given how every day that passes is another day Happy is unjustly deprived of her freedom and the company of other elephants. Thank you for your patience and continued support as we prepare for this next phase in Happy’s elephant rights litigation. Together, we’ve already made legal history for elephants and other nonhuman animals—with much more to come.

As always, we’ll keep you posted! Click here for a sharable blog post about what’s coming up in the legal right to free Happy, which Earth.Org recently called “a new legal frontier ... Regardless of the outcome, this case is monumental in terms of access to justice for animals.” 

In other NhRP news:

• For belugas and other cetaceans, transfer from one tank to another—especially with seaside sanctuaries on the horizon—is nothing to celebrate. Visit our blog for NhRP Staff Attorney Jake Davis’s commentary on the imprisonment of belugas in Marineland and Mystic Aquarium. 
   
• Actress and activist Mia Farrow recently tweeted in support of Happy’s release from the Bronx Zoo, writing, “It’s cruel and immoral to keep Happy there alone. Everyone knows that elephants are social animals. No matter how much money you make by displaying her, [it’s] wrong. Let Happy join other elephant friends at a sanctuary.” To like, share, or thank Mia for this tweet, click here.
   
• Happy and other nonhuman beings deserve worlds better than endless imprisonment in exhibits. The New York Times recently published a powerful essay that challenges the assumptions and (in our view, increasingly absurd) claims made by modern zoos and points to a more just way forward, while Mongabay asks, with reference to Happy’s case, “Do we love elephants enough to let them live free?” You can help raise awareness of the plight of elephants in zoos by reading and sharing these articles.
   
• Thank you to everyone who has voted for the NhRP on My Giving Circle so we can share in $500,000 in grants! Because of your tremendous support, we’re currently in the #1 spot. Help us stay there by voting once a week through June 30th. 

We are grateful to have you among our supporters, John. Thanks for reading, and we’ll be in touch again soon with further updates on our clients and how you can help. 

All best wishes,

Lauren Choplin
Communications Director, the NhRP