Colorado Springs, CO – In a controversial ruling that has reignited discussions about animal rights, the Colorado Supreme Court has denied legal standing to five elephants seeking release from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, declaring that they cannot pursue freedom because they are not “human.”

Landmark legal battle

The Nonhuman Rights Project (NRP) brought a groundbreaking lawsuit on behalf of five elephants—Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo—arguing that the zoo environment constitutes a “prison” for these intelligent, social creatures.

The court’s judgment was unequivocal: “Instead, the legal question here boils down to whether an elephant is a person. And because an elephant is not a person, the elephants here do not have standing to bring a habeas corpus claim.”

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This decision follows a similar 2022 ruling in New York regarding an elephant named Happy at the Bronx Zoo, signaling a consistent judicial approach to such cases.

Zoo’s counterargument

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo strongly criticized the NRP’s legal strategy, stating, “It seems their real goal is to manipulate people into donating to their cause by incessantly publicizing sensational court cases with relentless calls for supporters to donate.”

Activists’ response

NRP remains defiant, arguing the ruling perpetuates an “injustice” and predicting future courts will challenge the current legal framework:

“As with other social justice movements, early losses are expected as we challenge an entrenched status quo that has allowed Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo to be relegated to a lifetime of mental and physical suffering.”

Key takeaways

• Colorado Supreme Court denies legal personhood to zoo elephants
• Nonhuman Rights Project continues to challenge animal captivity
• Broader implications for animal rights and legal definitions of personhood