Zoo elephants in Colorado cannot seek release as they are not considered human.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that five elephants at a Colorado zoo do not have the legal right to pursue their release because they are not human.

The court clarified that the decision was not influenced by its respect for these magnificent creatures.

"The legal issue in this case is whether an elephant can be considered a person, the court stated. Since elephants are not people, they lack the ability to bring a habeas corpus claim."

If the court had ruled in their favor, the elephants at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs could have pursued a legal process that allows prisoners to challenge their detention and would have been transferred to an elephant sanctuary.

A court in California has ruled against an elephant named Joy at the San Diego Zoo, following a similar decision in New York in 2022 where a court ruled against an elephant named Happy at the Bronx Zoo.

Both cases were brought by Nonhuman Rights Project, an animal rights group.

The elephants in the Colorado case, who were born in the wild in Africa, have shown signs of brain damage due to the zoo's confinement, which limits their ability to roam for miles daily.

The animals were being considered for release to one of two accredited elephant sanctuaries in the U.S. due to concerns about their ability to survive in the wild.

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo argued that relocating the elephants and possibly pairing them with other animals could be inhumane at their advanced age, and may cause undue distress. The zoo maintained that the animals are not accustomed to living in larger groups and lack the ability or inclination to integrate with them.

The Nonhuman Rights Project was accused by the zoo of "abusing court systems" for fundraising, with the zoo expressing disappointment over the legal fight over the issue and applauding the ruling.

The zoo stated that their real objective is to use sensational court cases and constant calls for donations to manipulate people into supporting their cause.

The Nonhuman Rights Project stated that the recent decision "upholds an evident injustice" and foresees that courts in future cases will reject the notion that only humans possess the right to freedom.

The group acknowledged that early losses are likely to occur as they challenge the deeply ingrained social norms that have kept Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo in a state of perpetual suffering.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.