NYC NOW
NYC NOW
WNYC
What's Next for the Last Elephant in New York City?
23 minutes Posted Jul 6, 2026 at 8:00 pm.
0:00
23:41
Download MP3
Show notes
Happy the Elephant lived at the Bronx Zoo for nearly 50 years, where she was beloved by generations of New Yorkers, and was also at the center of a landmark legal battle over whether an elephant could be granted the same rights as a person. WNYC reporter Walter Wuthmann joins us to trace Happy's life and investigate what comes next for Patty, the last elephant left at the Bronx Zoo.
Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis News via Getty Images