Stephen: NY court denies Bronx Zoo elephant human rights

New York State’s Court of Appeals has ruled against animal rights activists who brought a suit to force the Bronx Zoo to extend basic human rights to an elephant. The appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling that Happy the elephant is not a legal person and therefore does not have the right to freedom of a human being. It said that animals deserve “proper care and compassion” but not protection against unlawful confinement. Happy has lived alone in her zoo enclosure since the death of two other elephants.