The New York Supreme Court hasruled that Happy the elephant, who has lived at the Bronx Zoo since the 1970s, cannot legally be considered a human being. This closely watched case explores the boundaries of applying human rights to animals. The state appeals court ruled in a 5-2 vote on Tuesday, in a judgment written by Chief Justice Janet DiFiore that laid out the court’s view. “While no one disputes that elephants are intelligent creatures worthy of proper care and compassion,” DiFiore said, the writ of habeas corpus is designed to protect human liberties and does not apply to non-human animals like Happy. Extending that right to Happy to challenge her restrictions on staying at the zoo “would have a huge destabilizing effect on modern society”. Granting legal personality in this case would affect the way humans and animals interact, according to a majority rule. “Indeed, such a decision would logically question the premise of pet ownership, the use of service animals, and the recruitment of animals in other forms of work,” the ruling read.
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