Bronx Zoo euthanizes Elephant Happy at 55 years old
Happy, a 55-year-old elephant at the Bronx Zoo, was euthanized on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 after hospice care for progressive age-related health conditions. Craig Piper, the zoo’s interim director, said she spent her final weeks with access to the elephant barn and outdoor yard spaces, and the staff who knew her best stayed with her.
Happy at the Bronx Zoo
Piper said, "We are deeply saddened to report that Happy, who was loved by staff and visitors at the Bronx Zoo for nearly 50 years, was euthanized on Tuesday, May 26." He added, "Making the decision to euthanize an animal is one of the hardest and most heartbreaking responsibilities in animal care, requiring immense compassion and love for the animal."
Happy arrived at the Bronx Zoo in 1977 and spent nearly 50 years there. Some of the keepers, curators, and veterinarians who cared for her had known her for more than 30 years, and the zoo said she continued to interact with them during her daily routines while in hospice care.
Veterinary care and necropsy
The zoo said veterinary and animal care staff managed signs of progressive age-related health conditions during hospice care. Diagnostic testing and ongoing veterinary evaluations identified possible declining kidney or liver function before she was euthanized.
After her death, a necropsy on May 27, 2026 found several large inoperable uterine tumors and arthritis. Piper said, "Happy spent her final weeks having access to the elephant barn and outdoor yard spaces where she was most comfortable, with the choice of where she wanted to be." He also said, "She continued to interact with her keepers during daily routines and remained under the attentive care of the staff members who knew her best."
Patty at the Bronx Zoo
Happy was the Bronx Zoo’s other Asian elephant, Patty, is 57 years old and is doing well. The zoo said any future decisions about Patty’s care and management will continue to be made based on her individual welfare needs.
Happy’s death ends a long chapter for the Bronx Zoo staff and visitors who knew her over decades. The zoo also said she had been the subject of years of litigation by anti-zoo activists who sought to have her legally declared a person and removed from the Bronx Zoo, and New York State courts, including the state’s highest court, ruled in the zoo’s favor in multiple rulings.
