Court Decides Elephants Lack Legal Standing to Initiate Lawsuits for Zoo Release
Trenton, N.J. — In a unique case that intertwines animal rights with legal boundaries, a New Jersey appeals court ruled that elephants held in captivity do not have the legal standing to effectuate their release through the courts. This decision reaffirms the conventional interpretation of animals’ legal status under U.S. law. The lawsuit was brought forward by the Nonhuman Rights Project on behalf of three elephants — Minnie, Beulah, and Karen — housed at a zoo in Connecticut. They argued that the elephants were “autonomous beings who live extraordinarily complex emotional, social, and intellectual lives,” … Read more