The NhRP · [email protected]

November 8, 2025 at 12:00 AM

The disturbing reality behind captive breeding at the Pittsburgh Zoo

Monday’s hearing will decide whether Zuri and Victoria are forced to relive the same trauma their mothers endured. Dear John,   Under the dim light of the Pittsburgh Zoo’s elephant barn, Moja gave birth on a concrete floor. Her calf, Zuri, entered the world surrounded not by the comfort, quiet, a…

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  Jake Davis, the NhRP · [email protected]

November 3, 2025 at 5:27 PM

Thank you.

Chimpanzee rights case in Michigan: A quick note Hi John. This is Jake Davis, Senior Staff Attorney for the Nonhuman Rights Project. As many reading this email know, on October 14th, I argued before the Michigan Court of Appeals on behalf of seven chimpanzees imprisoned at a roadside zoo in Walla…

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  Courtney Fern, the NhRP · [email protected]

October 28, 2025 at 7:36 PM

Take action today for the Pittsburgh elephants

Tell the Pittsburgh Zoo President to free Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri to an accredited sanctuary now. Photo of Tasha at the Pittsburgh ZooDear John,   Five African elephants—Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri—have spent most or all of their lives trapped behind the walls…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

October 21, 2025 at 6:01 PM

Breaking: the NhRP files new case in Pittsburgh

For decades, the Pittsburgh Zoo has deprived elephants of freedom of choice and movement. Today, we’re fighting to get it back. Dear John,   Today, the Nonhuman Rights Project submitted a habeas corpus petition to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, demanding the right to liberty of five el…

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  Lauren, the NhRP · [email protected]

October 18, 2025 at 1:21 AM

Update: Decision in Michigan chimpanzee rights case

And our next step Dear John,   Earlier this week, the Michigan Court of Appeals heard arguments by the Nonhuman Rights Project concerning whether seven chimpanzees confined in the DeYoung Family Zoo are entitled to the right to liberty and a habeas corpus hearing on the lawfulness of their impriso…

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  Free to Be Elephants · [email protected]

October 17, 2025 at 7:21 PM

An elephant’s story the zoo doesn’t want you to hear.

And how you can help Zuri and her sister. Dear John, Zuri was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo in 2008. In her 17 years of life, she’s never taken a single step in the wild.   Growing up, Zuri didn’t get to roam vast landscapes and learn natural elephant behaviors under the protection of her mother and …

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

October 14, 2025 at 10:22 PM

Update: Today we stood for chimpanzee freedom in Michigan.

What happened today at the Michigan Court of Appeals and what’s ahead. NhRP local counsel Ginny Mikita, NhRP Senior Staff Attorney Jake Davis, and NhRP Senior Staff Attorney Spencer Lo today in the Michigan Hall of Justice Dear John,   This morning the NhRP appeared before the Michigan Court of A…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

October 13, 2025 at 10:32 PM

Watch our hearing on chimpanzees' right to liberty tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET

Tune in live via the Michigan Court of Appeals YouTube channel. Dear John,  At 10 a.m. ET tomorrow (October 14th), NhRP Senior Staff Attorney Jake Davis will appear before the Michigan Court of Appeals in our landmark case seeking the right to liberty for seven chimpanzees held captive at the DeYo…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

October 11, 2025 at 6:10 PM

These numbers tell a story. Help write the next chapter for seven chimpanzees.

Much is unknown about the lives of the chimpanzees held captive in this roadside zoo. We know enough to know they deserve a hearing and relief from the suffering caused by their imprisonment. 7: The number of years Tommy the chimpanzee spent in a cage on a used trailer lot in New York before his o…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

October 8, 2025 at 8:32 PM

Expert support ahead of our Michigan hearing

Our hearing is one week away! And our case on behalf of the seven chimpanzees held captive at the DeYoung Family Zoo has gained the support of scientists and legal experts. Dear John,  Our lawsuit demanding freedom and sanctuary for seven chimpanzees held captive at the DeYoung Family Zoo is the …

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  Lauren via the NhRP · [email protected]

October 4, 2025 at 5:32 PM

This World Animal Day, share your “why.”

An invitation to submit your story Today is World Animal Day, and we want to hear from you! Was there a moment that changed everything?A story that opened your eyes?An animal who taught you to see the world differently?  Tell us why you’re in the fight for animal rights. Whether it was a heartbreak…

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  The Nonhuman Rights Project · [email protected]

October 1, 2025 at 10:52 PM

In memory of Dr. Jane Goodall

NhRP statement Jane Goodall and Nonhuman Rights Project founder Steven M. Wise, Los Angeles, 2019  The Nonhuman Rights Project is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall. As one of our first board members, Dr. Goodall offered her support for our mission and work in the very earl…

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  Courtney via the NhRP · [email protected]

September 27, 2025 at 9:00 PM

What happened in Ojai two years ago today

Legislation that made legal history for elephants Dear John,   Two years ago today, the Ojai City Council in California passed an ordinance that, for the first time in the United States, recognized a legal right for a nonhuman animal—elephants’ right to liberty. Because the Ojai City Council stood…

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  Elizabeth Stein, the NhRP · [email protected]

September 25, 2025 at 6:05 PM

Hearing in chimpanzee rights case: Help spread the word

To deny chimpanzees the right to liberty merely because they were born chimpanzees is unjust, arbitrary, and biased. We look forward to urging the appellate court to right this incredible wrong. Dear John,   I’m glad to be able to share with you that we now have a hearing date in our case demandin…

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  Christopher via the NhRP · [email protected]

September 19, 2025 at 12:01 AM

Remembering Beulah the elephant

Dying in plain sight, invisible to the law Six years ago today, our client Beulah died after collapsing multiple times in full public view at the Big E fair in Massachusetts. Crowds watched—and animal advocates, committed to the cause of her freedom, photographed—as she lay near death in a parking…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

September 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM

Help shape the NhRP’s next steps

Take 2 minutes to help guide NhRP’s work for elephants and other nonhuman animals. Dear John, We’re reaching out again because we truly value your perspective. We’d love to hear from you! Take a moment to complete our 2025 Membership Survey. This short survey takes just 2-4 minutes to complete, but…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

September 10, 2025 at 10:21 PM

For Jade and her calf.

We must demand a future of freedom and sanctuary for elephants. Sign our pledge to end elephant exploitation. Dear John,  Jade was born in 2007 at the Saint Louis Zoo. From the moment of her birth until today, her life has been defined by confinement.   At just 17 years old, she was impregnated thr…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

September 4, 2025 at 9:31 PM

18,000 strong.

We want to thank you for supporting the NhRP and taking action for elephants.   Dear John,   In August, over 18,000 NhRP supporters joined together to take action for World Elephant Month—sending messages to zoo leadership, commenting on the injustice of elephant captivity on zoo social media chan…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 31, 2025 at 5:01 PM

Tonight: Elephant Month comes to a close

Help us end captive elephant breeding with a donation before midnight   Dear John, This World Elephant Month, we’ve exposed the cruelty and injustice of captive elephant breeding, including: The stark contrast between the lives of free-living elephants and those born in captivityThe myths that fue…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM

A legacy of hope.

And a future worth fighting for.   Dear John,  All month long, we’ve shared the difficult truths about what elephants endure in captivity—including and especially the harms caused by captive breeding programs—emphasizing the urgent need for justice. But as World Elephant Month comes to a close, t…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 28, 2025 at 5:19 PM

A life every elephant deserves

Close to the end: what it means for elephants   She’s experienced many evenings like this one–the sun sinking into the horizon, the scent of cooling earth, long grass suffused with the last light of a hot day, burnt-orange dust creating a hazy glow around the distant shapes of trees.  Nearby, the…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 26, 2025 at 8:31 PM

Quick reminder: your gift is doubled this week for elephants!

Every dollar becomes two for elephants this week.   Dear John,  On Sunday we shared that a generous supporter offered to match every donation to the Nonhuman Rights Project up to $10,000 for the final week of World Elephant Month. This means every gift to the NhRP through August 31st will be doubl…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 25, 2025 at 4:51 PM

The Oregon Zoo’s treatment of elephants

A long, dark history   A horrific beating. A mother who tried to kill her baby. Breeding agreements with a business known for exploiting and abusing elephants. The Oregon Zoo in Portland does its best to market its elephant exhibit as family-friendly, but for the elephants themselves, the experie…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 24, 2025 at 5:01 PM

Double your impact before Elephant Month ends

Final week to take action for elephants. Your gift will go twice as far.   Dear John, As the NhRP’s World Elephant Month comes to a close, we’re excited to announce that we now have one more powerful opportunity to make a difference!  A generous supporter has pledged an additional $10,000 match, w…

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  Jake Davis, the NhRP · [email protected]

August 22, 2025 at 5:01 PM

What is life like for a male elephant used in captive breeding?

Jake Davis on Jake the elephant’s suffering   This World Elephant Month, we’re exposing the cruelty and injustice of captive elephant breeding. Below, NhRP Senior Staff Attorney Jake Davis reflects on the suffering of an elephant who shares his first name–an adult male confined in the Denver Zoo’s…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 20, 2025 at 11:01 PM

What happened to Billy and Tina

Reflections from advocate Kiersten Cluster   “It was in 2015 that I read about elephant sanctuaries and the possibility of relief and healing for traumatized individuals forced into captivity far from home, community, and everything they know. As a result, I decided to visit the Los Angeles Zoo an…

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  Kelly, the NhRP · [email protected]

August 19, 2025 at 11:21 PM

Beyond petitions and donations.

This action guide will help you discover ways to create meaningful impact for elephants in your community. Dear John,  Last year, while I was exploring the Texas Renaissance Faire with friends, I spotted a sign across the dirt path ahead. “Elephant rides!” it read. Just ahead of me were elephants, …

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 16, 2025 at 2:02 PM

Thando and Davu were born this time last year. Help them find freedom.

Sign our action alert to free two young elephants and their parents from a zoo and end captive elephant breeding.   Dear John, It’s been a year since two elephant calves, Thando and Davu, were born into captivity at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Instead of growing up in freedom, they’re spending their f…

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  Lauren, the NhRP · [email protected]

August 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM

We’re almost there — help us cross the finish line

There is still time to give and have your donation matched dollar for dollar to help free elephants like Billy and Tina.   Dear John, We are just short of our World Elephant Month goal, and your gift could be the one that gets us across the finish line. Every dollar you give right now will be double…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 14, 2025 at 8:30 PM

The Tulsa Zoo can do the right thing. Will they?

Billy and Tina were transferred from one zoo to another when they had the chance to go to a sanctuary. Take action today to help free them.   Dear John, As part of our World Elephant Month campaign, we’re turning the spotlight on elephants like Billy and Tina, whose stories continue to reveal the …

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 13, 2025 at 7:46 PM

For World Elephant Month, your gift goes 2X as far

Celebrate World Elephant Day by supporting the fight for elephants’ right to liberty. Your gift will be doubled to help end captivity.   Dear John,  In honor of World Elephant Day and the NhRP’s World Elephant Month, all donations to the Nonhuman Rights Project will be doubled up to $10,000 throu…

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  The NhRP Team · [email protected]

August 12, 2025 at 1:02 PM

Born into a lifetime of captivity.

The AZA’s captive breeding program isn’t saving elephants. It’s exploiting them.  Dear John, Elephants in US zoos are being bred into a lifetime of suffering, and it’s time to speak out.  Whether by forced mating or invasive artificial insemination, elephants are treated like commodities under the…

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  Kelly, the NhRP · [email protected]

August 9, 2025 at 4:31 PM

Freedom is a memory for some. A dream for others.

For two elephants of the same age, the difference between freedom and captivity is everything. Dear John, He was born under an open sky, in tall grass warmed by the sun.  He remembers the scent of rain. The gentle weight of his mother’s trunk draped across her back as he slept. The steady rhythm …

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM

Lucy: The Stolen Lives of Elephants

An interview with the director of a new documentary about elephant captivity in zoos Fern Levitt is a Canadian documentary filmmaker whose latest work focuses on elephant captivity in zoos–with a focus on the suffering of Lucy, an elephant imprisoned alone for decades in the Edmonton Valley Zoo. …

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  Christopher, the NhRP · [email protected]

August 6, 2025 at 10:49 PM

Fighting a dangerous ruling for animals in California

NhRP brief argues animal cruelty is a “significant evil” under common law necessity doctrine Dear John,   This week the Nonhuman Rights Project filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief asking California’s First District Court of Appeal to recognize that animal cruelty qualifies as a “si…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 4, 2025 at 9:31 PM

This isn’t conservation.

Let’s talk about the myth of captive breeding as “conservation” Dear John,  This World Elephant Month, zoos will, no doubt, be showcasing baby elephants in their feeds and marketing materials, promoting their captive breeding programs as “species survival.” It’s a message meant to reassure the publ…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

August 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM

No mother should give birth in shackles.

Help put a stop to the injustice of elephant captivity and captive breeding programs. She knows it’s not supposed to be this way. She’s among the largest animals on earth, but especially on days like this one—days when she’s unable to move until they let her, days when they insert things into the…

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  Lauren Choplin, the NhRP · [email protected]

August 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM

Born for freedom, bred for captivity: World Elephant Month 2025

Captive elephant breeding is unjust and cruel. Together we can end it and secure elephants’ right to liberty. Dear John,   For thousands of years, humans viewed elephants not as sentient beings but as resources to conquer, control, and commodify. In the last 50 years, human understanding of elephan…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

July 31, 2025 at 12:01 AM

Let us know what you want to receive this August

Choose the updates, stories, and actions you want to receive throughout August. Dear John,  This August, as part of World Elephant Month, we’re shining a light on a cruel and unjust reality: elephants are still being bred in captivity under the false promise of conservation. Our theme, “Born for f…

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  Jake Davis, the NhRP · [email protected]

July 30, 2025 at 1:31 PM

Their freedom was at stake. What Justice Jaffe did helped them secure it.

Chimpanzees Hercules and Leo and the Jaffe decision The Nonhuman Rights Project is celebrating our 30th anniversary throughout the year with special content focused on where we’ve been, who we are as an organization, and where we’re headed. Below, NhRP Senior Staff Attorney Jake Davis reflects on…

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  Lauren Chopin · [email protected]

July 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM

We value your voice! Help shape the NhRP’s work in 2025 🐘

We want to hear from you! Will you take a quick survey to share what inspires you about our mission? Your voice matters! Hi John,   As someone who cares deeply about the rights of nonhuman animals, you’re an integral part of the NhRP community. It’s your passion and support that make our work poss…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

July 14, 2025 at 10:26 PM

Today is World Chimpanzee Day. Will you speak up for them?

Seven chimpanzees remain captive in a roadside zoo in northern Michigan. Dear John,   On this day in 1960, Dr. Jane Goodall—world renowned primatologist and NhRP board member—began her trailblazing research on wild chimpanzees in Gombe. Her work shattered scientific and cultural myths, and transfor…

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  The Nonhuman Rights Project · [email protected]

July 13, 2025 at 1:31 PM

The story of the P.T. Barnum belugas: 160 years ago today

This is not just about belugas. It’s about who we are as a species. Dear John,   One hundred and sixty years ago today, two belugas died in a fire in P.T. Barnum’s American Museum in New York City. Visit the NhRP blog to read and share “Why We Fight for Nonhuman Rights: The Story of the P.T. Barnu…

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  The NhRP · [email protected]

July 11, 2025 at 5:31 PM

He was born into captivity.

For Ongard, and others like him, we must demand justice. Dear John,   In a world where intelligent, socially complex, and autonomous beings like elephants are still held captive under the guise of conservation—despite the overwhelming scientific evidence of the physical and psychological harm it ca…

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