Bronx Zoo named No. 2 ‘worst zoo’ for elephants as activists say ‘Happy’ is one pouty pachyderm: ‘Cruel confinement’

By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-07 19:59:11 | Updated at 2025-01-08 17:14:11 21 hours ago

The Bronx Zoo was named the No. 2 “worst” zoo for elephants as animal activists say its famed trunked resident “Happy” is one pouty pachyderm that should be released to a sanctuary.

The zoo’s alleged “cruel confinement” of Happy and the zoo’s other Asian elephant Patty led to the unwanted ranking from the animal rights group In Defense of Animals — with only the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens faring worse on the list.

The Bronx Zoo was just named among the “worst zoos” for elephants in North America by animal rights group In Defense of Animals over the “cruel confinement” of its Asian elephants. Brigitte Stelzer

The No. 1 “worst” LA zoo “epitomizes the tragic phenomenon of ‘aging out,’ where older elephants become burdens to the zoo as their physical and mental health deteriorates rapidly and they lose their breeding value,” the group said.

At the Bronx Zoo, Happy and Patty are kept in enclosures thousands of times smaller than their natural range, which can result in chronic stress, arthritis, brain damage, foot disease and early death, a rep from In Defense of Animals said.

At the Bronx Zoo, Happy and Patty are kept in enclosures thousands of times smaller than their natural range, a rep from In Defense of Animals said. Matthew McDermott

“Happy’s actions speak volumes: she can no longer mentally cope with her environment,” Courtney Scott, the group’s elephant consultant, said in a statement. “Both Happy and Patty are in desperate need of a stimulating, natural environment with ample space to roam — somewhere they can experience the social and cognitive enrichment they have been denied for so long.”

Scott noted 15,000 animal activists have signed a petition urging the zoo to send the elephant pair to a sanctuary “where they can finally find the peace, space, and sense of belonging they deserve.”

A spokesperson for the Bronx Zoo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the Bronx Zoo vowed to shut down its elephant exhibit in 2006 once one or more of its elephants died, Patty and Happy continue to be held at the zoo until further notice despite neighbor Maxine’s death in 2018, the group said.

The zoo also allegedly violates the Association of Zoos & Aquariums standard of care, the activist group said, which mandates elephants live in social groups of at least three.

“This year marks the 11th time the Bronx Zoo has appeared on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list, highlighting its failure to honor its promise,” the group said. “Instead, these two highly social senior elephants are forced to ‘age out’ in solitude, confined to separate barren enclosures, suffering through New York’s freezing winters.”

The Bronx Zoo allegedly violates the Association of Zoos & Aquariums standard of care, which mandates elephants live in social groups of at least three, according to the activists. Brigitte Stelzer

Animal rights group Nonhuman Rights Project even took the Bronx Zoo to court in an unsuccessful bid to get Happy could be categorized as a person in a court of law.

The New York Court of Appeals ruled in 2022 that Happy isn’t a “person” and tossed the lawsuit.

Happy, who has been a resident of the zoo since the 1970s, disappeared from public view for nearly two months over the summer, according to the Nonhuman Rights Project – and when she reappeared, she was spotted with apparent “significant” damage to her feet.

Happy was not seen for nearly two months over the summer at her enclosure, according to the Nonhuman Rights Project – and when she reappeared, she was spotted with “significant” damage to her feet. Richard Harbus

The zoo, however, contended Happy was in tip-top shape and that activists aren’t as well-versed in her needs as the zoo’s care team.

There are “no serious issues” with Happy’s feet, the rep told The Post at the time, and any nail cracks are managed with routine pedicures.

Animal activists, on the other hand, aren’t as convinced that proper care is being delivered.

“Zoos drain the life out of elephants, then deny them a comfortable retirement,” said Dr. Marilyn Kroplick, the group’s president.

Kroplick dedicated 2024’s ranking to Tonka, a 46-year-old African elephant at Zoo Knoxville that was euthanized for chronic pain last May.

“Tonka’s premature death and missed freedom is a grim warning for Bronx Zoo, and for Happy and Patty,” Kroplick said. “It’s time for zoos to stop aging out elephants in misery and instead start moving out older animals to real sanctuaries where they can finally enjoy some peace and freedom before they die.”

Here’s the group’s full “worst” list for 2024: