Ely, an African elephant saved from a circus 13 years ago, suffered from several ailments and another elephant, Maggie, died in her enclosure. Ely started losing weight and pounded her head against the walls of her enclosure after Maggie died, according to reports. The court mandated \”a constant improvement of her health and physical condition,\” the Associated Press reported. The four-judge panel’s ruling confirmed a lower court’s order in Ely’s favour last year, and experts believe it may set a precedent for Mexico to acknowledge the rights of animals. In 2023 and 2024, the zoo introduced two more elephants to keep her company and expanded the elephant habitat. The director of the zoo said they were convinced they could follow the court’s ruling to improve Ely’s life. She further confirmed that Ely was stable and not depressed. \”I was very moved to see the state Ely was in. It was heartbreaking, and I made her a promise. They will stop treating you like this,\” Diana Valencia, founder of the animal rights organisation Opening Cages and Opening Minds, said.
