Mexico's Supreme Court is calling for better conditions for elephant Ely

Mexico's Supreme Court is calling for better conditions for elephant Ely

The Mexican Supreme Court ordered on Wednesday that a zoo has to improve the health of an African elephant named Ely. This is the first time that the country's highest court has made such a decision in favor of an animal.

Court decision for Ely's well -being

The court called for a "constant improvement of their health and physical constitution". This decision of a body of four judges confirmed a lower court ruling from last year, which already decided in favor of Ely. Experts agree that this could create a precedent in Mexico who recognizes that animals have rights.

Ely's sad story

activists argue that Ely has suffered from depression in 2016 since the death of Maggie, the other elephant who lived with her in the same habitat, as well as diseases that she suffered in captivity. Ely was often seen with how she hit the walls of her enclosure and lost weight. They described their supporters as "the saddest elephants in the world".

Ely's living conditions in the zoo

Ely, whose age is estimated at about 43 to 45 years, has lived in the Zoo San Juan de Aragon in Mexico City for 13 years after it has been saved from a circus. The judgment of Wednesday follows another decision by the Supreme Court in the last month when it was found that the laws of Mexico City against animal abuse and torture are constitutional.

Valencia admitted that the Zoo Ery's living conditions has improved, but only after public pressure. So the elephant enclosure was enlarged in 2023, and two other elephants were added.

the zoo and Elys health monitoring

The veterinarian Gabriela Uribe Acosta, the director of the zoo, confidently commented that the zoo can fully meet the court order to improve Ely's life. A team of six people is responsible for keeping the more than 78,000 square foot clean, while another half a dozen people monitors their health.

uribe acosta rejected the claims about Ely's depression. She explained that the elephant was stable and has improved since the arrival of the other elephants. Ely shows more movement and has developed new expressions.

The influence of the judgment and future efforts

When Ely came out of the circus in 2012, she had an injury to the back right leg, which restricted her mobility, as well as nutritional deficits due to poor nutrition. But the decision of Wednesday could have an impact beyond Ely. The lawyer Sergio Méndez Silva, the coordinator for legal disputes of the local foundation for justice, said: "Mexico takes an important step with a precedent like this, and I think this will mark this before and after."

Despite the progress, Valencia plans to continue to fight for all three elephants of the zoo to be relocated to a sanctuary in Brazil or the United States. "I can't be satisfied because an elephant cannot live in captivity, which hurt her mentally," she said. "It is one of the animals that suffer the most in captivity."