A group has filed a lawsuit hoping to move Happy,...

A group has filed a lawsuit hoping to move Happy, seen at the Bronx Zoo in October 2020, to a sanctuary. Credit: Gigi Glendinning

The monorail winds slowly through the Bronx Zoo's Asian wilderness re-creation. Children exclaim as they see gaur, deer, and even a tiger.

Then, around a bend, Happy comes into view.

The magnificent Asian elephant, now in her 50s and weighing, by some accounts, about 8,500 pounds, grazes in the grass near a watering hole.

The tour guide recites a few facts and a recording adds some information. Visitors spend less than a minute watching Happy pace or snack before the monorail moves on.

It's a brief, but glorious, moment, seeing an elephant in the not-so-wilds of a New York City zoo.

But what if it's not what's best for Happy?

Early next year, the state's highest court will take up the Nonhuman Rights Project's argument that the writ of habeas corpus, which protects people against unlawful imprisonment, should be extended to Happy. The advocacy group and its Manhasset Hills attorney, Elizabeth Stein, hope to move Happy to an elephant sanctuary.

California's Performing Animal Welfare Society welcomes former zoo elephants to its 2,000-plus acres. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee features more than 3,060 acres, home to 10 elephants.

At the Bronx Zoo, Happy has one acre of space and a single companion, fellow elephant Patty, but they're separated by a fence.

In a statement, the zoo pointed to "this specific animal's personality and idiosyncrasies" as reason to keep Happy there. The zoo has said Happy is in a familiar place with people she knows. And, the zoo previously said, it "takes excellent care of Happy and will continue to do so."

There's no reason to doubt the zoo does what it can.

But even if she brings zoo-goers joy now, perhaps Happy would be … happier … elsewhere.

Full disclosure, I've been a member of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which oversees the Bronx Zoo, the city's three other zoos and its aquarium, for nearly 20 years. My family enjoys zoo visits regularly. My daughter has a deep love for elephants, raising money for the WCS and various elephant rescue organizations.

And what's not to love? Elephants are wise, with remarkable problem-solving abilities and long memories. More than 15 years ago, Happy proved she had self-awareness, recognizing herself in a mirror. Elephants are social creatures who nurture one another, care for their calves, mourn their dead, and do best in a herd. As Debra Stevens, co-founder of Elephant Havens, an African elephant rescue organization in Botswana, told me: "They desperately need a sense of family … They do need each other."

Elephants belong with other elephants, where they can roam — together. In the wild, many cover at least 15 miles a day.

While I love a day at the zoo, it's time to rethink how zoos do what they do and whether some creatures belong in such captivity. There's no simple answer, but some animals — including Happy — deserve better. Supporting elephant conservation doesn't only mean keeping an elephant alive. It means giving her the best life she can have.

Children and families don't need a visit to a zoo to care about elephants and fight for their protection. Last year, my family enjoyed a free, virtual visit with African elephants and their trainers through Elephant Havens, which has held Zoom calls for more than 2,200 people. That gave us far more than a minute on a monorail ever could.

Hopefully, someday soon, we'll be able to watch and learn from Happy, from a place where she's happier, too.

Columnist Randi F. Marshall's opinions are her own.

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