When traveling to the zoo, people often head to the elephant enclosure. These massive mammals are among the most popular animals people look for when visiting zoos. As with the other zoos, the Bronx Zoo is no different. The famous zoo elephants Happy and Patty gain much attention and love from their adoring fans. However, something has been different these last two weeks. Happy the elephant has been missing! While the zoo is claiming her safety, visitors to the zoo have begun to let their speculations run wild. Where is this famous zoo elephant, and why has Happy gone into hiding?
Famous Zoo Elephant Has Not Been Seen In Two Weeks
Screenshot from Nonhuman Rights Project X Account
While the reason for Happy the elephant's disappearance is not yet known, the people of the Bronx have their own theories. The NY Post shares some of these hilarious theories. One city resident claimed, "Honestly, it's probably in someone's backyard in the Bronx." Another zoo visitor claimed, "I don't know where Happy can be, but I think he went out and got something for Patty."
While the visitors of the Brox Zoo have these humorous theories, the Nonhuman Rights Project does not find anything humorous about the situation. The Nonhuman Rights Project has been fighting for Happy's freedom from the zoo since 2018. They regularly send monitors to observe the elephants and their conditions in the zoo. Now, they are not holding back their opinions regarding Happy the elephant's sudden disappearance.
They went to X to share their thoughts. Their statement reads: "The Bronx Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society can try all they want to pretend Happy has a real choice over any aspect of her life. But an elephant 'choosing' not to move around isn't normal, healthy elephant behavior."
Facts from Elephant Aid International seem to agree with the Nonhuman Rights Project. They claim, "In the wild, elephants constantly move, migrating as much as 30 miles daily, and are active for 18 hours a day." While it is understandable that elephants in captivity can not and do not move as much as in the wild, the sudden lack of Happy's movements can be seen as concerning.
Where Is Happy The Elephant?
Despite the various speculations and accusations from the Nonhuman Rights Project, the Bronx Zoo holds firm in its statements. The zoo released a statement on July 31 claiming, "Nothing is wrong with Happy." They continue, "Both Happy and Patty are in their early 50s and, as we routinely report, in good health."
The statement continues to share that the elephants are given a choice of where they like to be during the day. It further elaborates that areas in their enclosure are not visible to the public. Happy has apparently been choosing to spend her time there. They claim that every day, she has the option to return to the visible areas. However, so far, she has not been interested. Rather, she is "hanging back in the other indoor/outdoor areas around the people who care for her, opting for their company (and more frequent contact and treats) over the exhibit area."
NonHuman Rights Project Is Not Buying It
While some community members are satisfied with that response, the Nonhuman Rights Project does not buy that statement. They mention how "Captive elephants suffer from neural deterioration, brain damage, and death of critical parts of their brain." Then, they share how the elephant may exhibit signs of this deterioration. They exhibit this through "rocking and swaying," which is "indicative of severe psychological distress."
The Nonhuman Rights Project wrote a letter to USDA APHIS Animal Care stating, "Happy's confinement indoors for at least a week is deeply concerning, and we fear that the physical and psychological distress that she has suffered from for decades is now reaching a point of crisis."
We do not know for certain why this famous zoo elephant is not showing her face. We can only hope that she is well. Like the residents of the Bronx, we can only hope to trust the zoo officials and hope that Happy the elephant will soon grace us with her presence again.
