The Nonhuman Rights Project
@nonhumanrights
The only civil rights organization in the US dedicated solely to securing legal rights for nonhuman animals
It’s official: The Hawai'i Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in our case for Mari & Vaigai, two elephants held captive at the Honolulu Zoo, on 11/9/26. ⚖️ The hearing will be open to the public + livestreamed. Donate now & support their case: https://bit.ly/4z3RnJx
📅 THIS WED 8/5: We're going live to discuss our case on behalf of Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, & Zuri—five elephants held captive by the Pittsburgh Zoo. We'll discuss our appeal, the recent zoo transfers, & how you can help secure their freedom: https://bit.ly/4xgy26b
This #WorldElephantMonth is in honor of Happy, whose groundbreaking legal case changed the conversation about the rights of captive elephants. This month we'll share insights on the science, legal strategies, & stories driving our fight for #elephantrights. 🐘 Join us: https://bit.ly/4xaIKuN
Linh Mai was born in captivity. Every aspect of her life remains under human control. In the wild, elephants grow up in herds, roaming landscapes. They make essential choices about their lives. Linh Mai deserves this freedom. Read her story & take action: https://bit.ly/4bEd5K0
Linh Mai was born in captivity. Every aspect of her life will remain under human control. In the wild, elephants grow up in herds, roaming landscapes. They make essential choices about their lives. Linh Mai deserves this freedom. Read her story & take action: https://bit.ly/4bEd5K0
🐵Happy #WorldChimpanzeeDay! At NhRP we are honored to advocate for the recognition and protection of chimpanzees’ fundamental legal rights. Learn more about case for #chimpanzeerights in Michigan on behalf of the DeYoung chimpanzees here: https://bit.ly/44tCYII
Last week the @nonhumanrights.bsky.social & @theanimalvoters.bsky.social sent a letter to the Bronx Zoo & the Wildlife Conservation Society, urging them to do the right thing & release Patty to an accredited elephant sanctuary. 🔁 Reshare: Join us in calling for Patty’s freedom & immediate release.
🚨 BREAKING: The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court agrees to hear oral arguments in our case on behalf of Mari & Vaigai. This is only the 3rd time in US history that a state high court has agreed to hear arguments on behalf of an animal's right to liberty. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4vbacbo
Last week Happy died at the @BronxZoo after nearly five decades of confinement there. Patty does not have to suffer the same fate. Sign our petition and urge the #BronxZoo & Wildlife Conservation Society to release Patty to a sanctuary: https://bit.ly/4x8zWXd
Happy never got to experience the freedom she deserved, but her case changed the legal landscape forever and helped spark a movement for nonhuman animal rights. Join us as we #RememberHappy on social media this week. Help ensure her legacy lives on: https://bit.ly/49DUCfL
"Happy will always be remembered as the elephant who opened the courtroom doors to consideration of nonhuman animals' legal rights." NhRP Executive Director Christopher Berry on Happy’s profound impact on the legal landscape in @AP 🔗 https://bit.ly/4dKkFEo
Retired Justice Barbara Jaffe published an article on the concept of judicial courage. "...the need to render decisions that might seem ridiculous to some also demands courage informed by the lessons of history." Read it now on #TheFulcrum: https://bit.ly/3RC2uIj
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court is currently deciding whether Mari & Vaigai at the #HonoluluZoo can have their day in court. It would be the 3rd time a state’s highest court hears arguments on behalf of a nonhuman animal's right to liberty. Help make history: https://bit.ly/4uxHIbG
How do we truly protect an endangered species? According to Brett Mitchell (Elephant Reintegration Trust) it starts by giving them back their autonomy. #EndangeredSpeciesDay Read Brett’s incredible journey from managing captive elephants to rewilding them: https://bit.ly/3RrDIKR
If we are disturbed by footage of captive elephants performing tricks, we must also question the legal & institutional systems that permit their confinement. Read NhRP Sr. Staff Attorney, Jake Davis', op-ed in the Boulder Daily Camera: https://bit.ly/4uIBy81 #DenverZoo #COnews
🚨 DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT: 48 HOURS ONLY! The legal system treats nonhuman animals as "things." We’re fighting to change that. Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts are MATCHED up to $10,000 until midnight tomorrow! Donate now to double your impact: https://bit.ly/4uBXWzR
A bill to ban elephant captivity #Intro590 was reintroduced in the NYC Council. It would require captive elephants to be relocated to a sanctuary. Non-residents of NYC: while this bill moves forward, help apply pressure on the zoo to #FreeHappy & Patty: bit.ly/430FZiB
Nonhuman animals are not "things"—they are entitled to legal rights. 🏛️ From Wisconsin to Hawaii, the NhRP is in courtrooms demanding justice. This May we’re raising $45,000 to grow & expand our work in 2026. Every donation makes a difference. Donate now: https://bit.ly/4uy6ho7
This May the NhRP honors #EndangeredSpeciesDay by amplifying the urgent need to secure fundamental legal rights for nonhuman animals. We’ll spotlight client stories, revisit historic milestones, offer insights on active cases + what’s ahead! Donate now: https://bit.ly/4uJCt8v
Take action for Mari & Vaigai: As our litigation for the the 2 elephants held captive at the #HonoluluZoo continues, help us turn up the pressure. Submit our #actionalert to email the Zoo Director, urging her release Mari & Vaigai to a sanctuary: https://bit.ly/48QCE9x
⚖️ Calling all rising 2Ls! Interested in #animalrights law? The NhRP is now accepting applications for our Fall 2026 Legal Externship. 📍 Fully Remote 📚 Research, drafting, & litigation support 🎓 For current U.S. JD students Apply today: https://bit.ly/3P3Fj8Y
In the wild Alice would be a matriarch—a guardian of ancient knowledge, leading her herd for hundreds of miles through forests & grasslands. But in 1974 she was stolen from the wild as a calf & shipped to the US where she’s been held captive for 5+ decades. Read her story: https://bit.ly/3QmChwY
Last month our case for #chimpanzeerights in #Michigan drew support from over 30 experts—legal professionals, civil rights leaders, philosophers, & scholars—who submitted amicus briefs calling on the Michigan Supreme Court to hear the case. Take action: https://bit.ly/4cD7p3L
On #JaneGoodallDay we honor the remarkable life of Dr. Jane Goodall—a pioneering ethologist, conservationist, & cherished member of the NhRP’s Board of Directors. She taught the world to recognize the intelligence, emotion, & agency of the beings with whom we share this earth.
The NhRP's Executive Director @chrandberry.bsky.social was recently interviewed on the Healthification podcast about our lawsuit on behalf of the 2,000 beagles confined at Ridglan Farms. #Rights4RidglanBeagles🎧 Listen here: https://bit.ly/4sx6R52
This is no life for an elephant. For decades, the five elephants at the #PittsburghZoo have been denied the ability to make even the most basic decisions about their own lives. 📢 Contact the Board Chair & urge her to release the elephants to a sanctuary: https://bit.ly/4uKB7Lg
Over 14,000 people have already signed this public petition calling for the freedom of Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, and Zuri—the five elephants held at the #PittsburghZoo. Can you help us reach 20,000?✍️ TAKE ACTION: https://bit.ly/4lOe9yJ
Join the NhRP for a Week of Action to #FreeThePittsburghElephants! For decades, Angeline, Savanna, Tasha, Victoria, & Zuri have been confined by the #PittsburghZoo in conditions that can’t meet their basic needs. ACT NOW ➡️ Contact the Zoo’s CEO: https://bit.ly/41sPB4U
For 59 yrs Thailand's life has been defined by human control—first in a traveling circus & now at the #HoustonZoo where he’s confined, put on display & used for breeding. Thailand is not a 'thing' to own or exploit. He should be free. Read + take action: https://bit.ly/4uIORWM