The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced on March 4th that the elephants it owns would no longer perform in its circuses. In an op-ed published on March 10 in the Washington Post, NhRP Executive Director Natalie Prosin addresses the issue that has been and continues to be at the root of the exploitation of elephants and other nonhuman animals: the fact that they are all considered merely legal property.
As Natalie writes, âunless the law starts recognizing these extraordinary animals as something other than objects, [elephants] will forever be at the mercy of their âownersâ to decide to do the right thing.â
You can read Natalieâs complete op-ed here.