For the first time in state history, the Colorado Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday about whether animals are entitled to legal protections against imprisonment, including the right to challenge their custody.

Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo have lived in Colorado Springs for decades in the elephant exhibit at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

The case now going before the state Supreme Court centers on the conviction of a Westminster woman who stole less than $300 worth of goods in July 2022.

An animal rights group is trying to release Colorado zoo elephants from what they say is essentially a prison.