Mexico\u2019s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a zoo to improve the health of an African elephant named Ely, the first time the country\u2019s highest court has made such a move in favor of an animal. <\/p>\n
The court ordered that there be \u201ca constant improvement of her health and physical condition.\u201d <\/p>\n
The decision by a panel of four justices upheld a lower court\u2019s order last year in Ely\u2019s favor and experts believe it could set a precedent in Mexico recognizing that animals have rights. <\/p>\n
Advocates have argued that Ely suffered from depression, especially since the death of Maggie, the other elephant sharing her habitat, in 2016, as well as illnesses she suffered in captivity. <\/p>\n
Ely would bang against the walls of her enclosure and lost weight. Her defenders called her \u201cthe world\u2019s saddest elephant.\u201d <\/p>\n
That was when Diana Valencia, founder and director of the animal rights group Opening Cages and Opening Minds, met Ely. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt really moved me to see the state that she was in, it tore my soul and I made Ely a promise,\u201d Valencia said, who has continued to visit the elephant regularly over the years. <\/p>\n
She told Ely, \u201c\u2018They aren\u2019t going to do the same to you.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
Ely, who is estimated to be between 43 and 45 years old, has lived at the San Juan de Aragon zoo in Mexico City for 13 years since being rescued from a circus. <\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s ruling follows another high court decision last month when it determined that Mexico City laws against animal mistreatment and cruelty were constitutional. <\/p>\n
Valencia conceded that the zoo had improved Ely\u2019s living conditions, but only after public pressure. <\/p>\n
The zoo expanded the elephant enclosure and added two more elephants in 2023 and 2024. <\/p>\n
Veterinarian Gabriela Uribe Acosta, director of the zoo, said she was confident the zoo could fully comply with the court\u2019s order to improve Ely\u2019s life. <\/p>\n
She said a team of six people are responsible for keeping her enclosure of more than 78,000 square feet clean and another half dozen people are monitoring her health. <\/p>\n
Uribe Acosta dismissed assertions that Ely is depressed. She said the elephant was stable and had improved since the other elephants were added. She moves around more and has new vocalizations. <\/p>\n
She said that when Ely arrived in 2012, after years in a circus, she had a problem with her rear right leg that limited her mobility, as well as nutritional deficiencies resulting from a poor diet. <\/p>\n
But Wednesday\u2019s order could reverberate beyond Ely. <\/p>\n
Lawyer Sergio M\u00e9ndez Silva, litigation coordinator for the local Foundation for Justice, said \u201cMexico is taking a significant step with a precedent like this and I believe this will mark a before and after.\u201d <\/p>\n
Still, Valencia plans to continue fighting for all three of the zoo\u2019s elephants to be moved to a sanctuary in Brazil or the United States. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t be satisfied because an elephant can\u2019t live in captivity, it hurts them mentally,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the animals that most suffers in captivity.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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