Dear John,

Four new amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs have been submitted in support of the Nonhuman Rights Project’s landmark habeas corpus case demanding the right to bodily liberty of an elephant named Happy held alone in captivity in the Bronx Zoo.

The first brief is by a group of six expert habeas corpus practitioners and scholars, including four lawyers who worked on the Central Park Jogger case.

The second is by 14 philosophers with expertise in animal ethics, animal political theory, the philosophy of animal cognition and behavior, and the philosophy of biology.

The third is by five Catholic theologians with expertise in Catholic moral theology, ethics, animal ethics, ecological theology, theology and science, and bioethics.

The fourth is by a Fordham University professor who investigates the role of communication and media in contemporary social movements and public debates; it focuses on the question of public opinion in relation to Happy’s case.

Learn more, including how you can help and where we are in the case overall, on our blog. If you’re on social media, you can share this update using our posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Thank you for helping us build a more just world for all!

Lauren Choplin
Communications Director, the NhRP