“ A gilded cage is still a cage. ” – New York Court of Appeals Judge Jenny Rivera writing in support of Happy ’ s release from the Bronx Zoo

Dear John,

Last week, the New York Court of Appeals issued a decision [[link removed]] in Happy’s case and unfortunately chose not to order her release to a sanctuary. While the majority failed to understand what Happy’s case was actually about, we received two powerful dissenting opinions (beginning on p. 18 at this [[link removed]] link) that will help us in our continued fight for nonhuman animal rights. Right now, as we assess our legal options for Happy, you can help #FreeHappy and #FreePatty, the other elephant the Bronx Zoo forces to live alone, today.

After almost a lifetime in captivity, Happy and Patty deserve to be freed from their imprisonment at the Bronx Zoo, which can’t meet elephants’ complex needs [[link removed]] . That’s why we’re calling on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s ex-officio trustees (who hold these roles because they’re elected officials in certain positions) to help #FreeHappy and #FreePatty by publicly calling on the Bronx Zoo to close their elephant exhibit and send the elephants to a sanctuary.

What we need you to do:

1. Complete this action alert [[link removed]] to urge the Wildlife Conservation Society’s ex-officio trustees to use their positions to help #FreeHappy and #FreePatty, the other elephant the Bronx Zoo forces to live alone, by publicly calling on the Bronx Zoo to close their elephant exhibit and send the elephants to a sanctuary (note: WCS manages the Bronx Zoo).

2. After completing the action alert, send this tweet to the trustees: Attn @TheWCS ex-officio trustees @NYCSpeakerAdams, @bronxbp @NYCComptroller, @ReynosoBrooklyn, & @NYCMayor. The @BronxZoo is holding two elephants, each alone, on a tiny 1-acre lot. Please call for the zoo to #FreeHappy and #FreePatty to a sanctuary that can meet their needs.

3. Next, tweet at the Bronx Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Society asking them to #FreeHappy and #FreePatty. A sample tweet is: Happy & Patty have spent over 45 years imprisoned at the Bronx Zoo in a barren 1-acre enclosure. Both elephants are held alone, without the necessary companionship of other elephants. It’s time for the @BronxZoo & @theWCS to #FreeHappy & #FreePatty to an elephant sanctuary. You can also find sample tweets and graphics on this blog post [[link removed]] . Additionally, you can tweet out the action alert with the hashtags #FreeHappy and #FreePatty.

4. Read and share the #FreeHappy campaign page [[link removed]] on the other ways you can help Happy.

Note: The social media action items are for Twitter. If you don ’ t have Twitter or would prefer to advocate on another social media platform, you can help by sharing our action alert [[link removed]] and this [[link removed]] blog post on your preferred platforms.

As we’ll be emphasizing in the weeks to come, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Bronx Zoo don’t need a court order to do the right thing for these elephants.

Thank you for your support for elephants’ right to live freely!

Courtney Fern
Director of Government Relations, the NhRP

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