At the San Juan de Aragón Zoo in Mexico City, families crowded around a fence enclosing three African elephants, taking videos and selfies with them.
One of the elephants moved very slowly — its trunk swaying low, tracing patterns in the dust without purpose.
“It’s the sad elephant,” one visitor told his child, though he didn’t really know why people call her that. He was referring to the elephant named Ely.
Ely was rescued from a circus 13 years ago, where she was presumably abused and forced to work.
She still suffers from multiple injuries and illnesses resulting from that time, according to veterinarians at the zoo.
On Feb. 26, a panel of four justices ordered that the zoo must improve care and living conditions for Ely. It’s the first time the Supreme Court in Mexico has ruled in favor of an animal. And legal experts say the decision could set an important precedent in the country, recognizing that animals have rights.
When Diana Valencia, an animal activist in Mexico City, learned about Ely’s plight, she started visiting her regularly — as many as four times a week.
She’s visited the zoo for almost a decade, talking to Ely and documenting her behavior.
Valencia recalled seeing Ely in a truly deplorable state. “She was underweight, her skin on her head and back had bumps on it and was always down. She couldn’t stand for a long time without leaning against the walls. And she would even hit her head and tusks against bars and walls of the zoo,” Valencia told The World.
On several occasions, Valencia managed to record Ely making uncontrolled repetitive movements called “stereotypes,” which usually happen in animals kept in captivity.
Elephants are known as one of the most intelligent animals. Research shows they experience complex emotions, such as joy, compassion and grief.
Advocates argue that Ely has been suffering from depression, especially since the death of Maggie, another elephant who was sharing her habitat.
Maggie had to be euthanized in 2016, because she couldn’t recover from trauma caused at the circus, according to the zoo.
“I made Ely a promise,” Valencia said. “They aren’t going to do the same to you.”
Valencia’s activism has been effective. After public pressure, the zoo expanded Ely’s enclosure and added two more elephants to keep her company.
Veterinarian Gabriela Uribe Acosta, director of the zoo, said the elephant is no longer depressed.
She said there is a team of six people devoted to monitoring her health, and that the zoo can comply with the court’s order to improve her life.
But Valencia said that no matter how well cared for Ely is, there’s still an underlying problem: Elephants don’t belong in zoos.
Valencia explained that no zoo can compare to the conditions elephants experience in the wild.
She’s now pushing for Ely to be transferred to an elephant sanctuary in Brazil, where she’s already been accepted.
But the zoo argues that transporting the animal could be risky for her health.
Now, Valencia is looking for a sanctuary in the United States that could take Ely instead.