Dear John,

For the NhRP, appreciating elephants means recognizing and protecting their right to live freely. Thank you John for continuing to support our work and appreciating elephants in the same way. In the words of Bronx Supreme Court Justice Alison Y. Tuitt in Happy’s case, we should treat elephants “with respect and dignity.” One day, if we keep fighting in and beyond the courtroom, these self-aware, autonomous beings will be considered legal persons with fundamental rights, not legal things with no rights. 

Thank you also to photographer, artist, and advocate Gigi Glendinning, who joined us today on Zoom to talk about why and how she documents the suffering of Minnie, Happy, and other captive elephants, including the three elephants pictured above. As Gigi said, we are all part of this fight, and you can help right where you are: “Do what you enjoy doing because then you’ll do it more. I’m not a big fan of standing out at a protest, I would rather go in and document it. So if that’s what’s more interesting to you, go do it. And it doesn’t take a pro camera … Documenting, paying attention to what’s happening locally … Find your own set of parameters and do what you can.”

Watch and share the full seminar recording which features a slideshow of Gigi's photos along with the stories of how she took them, here. You can view all of Gigi’s photographs on her website and her videos on her YouTube channel.

If you’re in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to the NhRP today or registering to be part of our #ActiveForAnimalRights virtual race so that we can continue to fight for a world where elephants can be elephants: cognitively, emotionally, and socially complex beings who empathize with others, need and want to make choices, and learn from each other, just as we do.

Thanks again!

Mickey Suzuki
Development Director, the NhRP

P.S. Click here for the latest on our fight to #FreeHappy and here for the latest on our fight to #FreeMinnie.