We urgently need you to join the fight to help Happy the elephant, who is "living" at the Bronx Zoo.

Happy isn't happy, and it shows.

She's distressed and deprived of companionship. She paces and sways in her enclosure. Even that word—enclosure—makes you think of a prison more than a home.

You see, there's a big opportunity here. There's a chance for you to be the hero…to write history…to make a difference. It's so close, and yet somehow seems so far away.

Happy the elephant has been in forced isolation for over a decade. Happy, Maxine, and Patty were the three last remaining elephants when the Zoo said they would close their exhibit if another elephant died - That was in 2006!

Over a decade ago, those in charge saw the problems. They agreed that Happy, Maxine, and Patty would benefit from a proper herd. They knew that if one elephant died, the remaining two might not get along. They recognized that a solitary elephant exhibit would be “inhumane.”

But still, the Bronx Zoo didn't act. Instead, its management took the easy way out. The Zoo agreed to close the exhibit only after one of the three died. As if waiting for death is a reasonable solution.

And yet—13 years later—

Happy is still a prisoner.

Patty is still a prisoner.

Maxine...is not.

Maxine died in tragic captivity in late 2018. Her death should have been Happy and Patty's bittersweet ticket to a sanctuary.

But it's not happening. Happy & Patty are still prisoners. They're still separated from one another. They're still alone...

The Bronx Zoo leaders have themselves said that solitary elephant exhibits are inhumane.

Happy shouldn't be where she is. She's been a zoo prisoner far too long.

Happy and Patty deserve to live the remaining years of their lives in a sanctuary where they can enjoy life as it was intended for them.

With the devoted support of our members, we submitted Freedom of Information requests for the records of how Happy, Patty, and Maxine have been treated.

What the Zoo sent back was, well, rather disturbing...

It wasn't medical records. It wasn't documentation of their decision process. It wasn't even a note saying, "You're right, we're sorry, we're addressing that problem right away."

All we got was a pile of financial records. As if these wonderful animals are nothing more than dollars and cents in a ledger; not the complex, beautiful, intelligent, emotional beings they truly are.

The Zoo and City think we are going to give up, go away. But we're not. We have filed an appeal. If that is denied, we will take the Zoo to court to get the records.

The more that the Bronx Zoo has to answer for its actions, and inactions, the more likely it is to change its ways. That's why we publish the list of Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants every year.

And guess who's at the top? The Bronx Zoo.

We're not giving up. Ever. The Bronx Zoo may feel like it’s won because it didn't reveal the tragic secrets of Happy's crushing daily life. Those in charge might think they've done enough, and that now we'll go away and leave them alone. They would be wrong...

We won't stop until Happy and Patty are free. Your generous donation will fund Patty's fight, too. Please give today to the life-changing work of In Defense of Animals, and help restore dignity and peace to elephants like Happy and Patty who've suffered too much already.