Case on elephant captivity at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo heads to Colorado Supreme Court
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – This week, representatives from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will appear before the Colorado Supreme Court to defend their care of five elephants in a case that marks a legal first for the state.
The lawsuit, which claims that the five elephants held at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are suffering in captivity, aims to have the animals placed in a wildlife sanctuary with more room to roam.
The “Nonhuman Rights Project” (NhRP) claims that the Zoo’s enclosures only allow the animals to move around 100 yards in any direction, and that the elephants are "exhibiting troubling behaviors caused by chronic stress and trauma.”
“Since their first few years in this world, these elephants have known very little beyond the terror of being kidnapped from their matriarchal herds and a life relegated to one behind bars for human entertainment and amusement," NhRP Staff Attorney Jake Davis said in a Facebook video.
But the zoo argues that it provides "excellent" and "specific care" to its five elephants: Jambo, Missy, LouLou, Kimba and Lucky.
In a news release from Oct. 22, the zoo called NhRP an "out-of-state extreme animal rights organization" and said the group was "known in the Zoo profession for wasting credible organizations’ time and money with misguided lawsuits."
"The NhRP’s case is not about our elephant care. Their goal is to establish a court precedent granting habeas corpus to any animal. Our elephants are just the next target on their list of failed attempts at setting this precedent," the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo wrote in the release.
The zoo also contends that it is nationally recognized as a leader in animal care and conservation, and has receiving over 35 years of accreditation from the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums.
"Our elephant care team knows the needs of our elephants, and tailors specific health and exercise programs based on each elephant’s needs and preferences. Suggesting they’d be better off at a sanctuary is simply incorrect," the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said in the release.
The suit lost in a Colorado Springs district court in June before animal justice attorneys appealed to the state's Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case.
The case will be argued in a Boulder courtroom on Thursday, Oct. 24. This will be the first time the Colorado Supreme Court will be considering whether a non-human animal is entitled to this form of legal protection.
