Happy the elephant dies at Bronx Zoo after landmark animal rights legal battle
(AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Happy, a 55-year-old Asian elephant at the Bronx Zoo, was euthanized on Tuesday due to rapidly deteriorating age-related health conditions, including severe arthritis and inoperable uterine tumors.
Happy gained scientific recognition in 2005 for her role in a study that demonstrated elephants possess self-awareness, a rare cognitive ability.
Her captivity became the subject of a landmark animal rights lawsuit by the Nonhuman Rights Project, which argued for her legal recognition as a “person” and transfer to a sanctuary.
New York’s highest court ultimately rejected the activists’ claim in a 5-2 decision, though two dissenting judges strongly criticized the ethics of her confinement.
Happy’s passing leaves Patty, a 57-year-old elephant, as the only remaining pachyderm at the Bronx Zoo, prompting officials to consider relocating her.
