[gatagato]

Sandra was born in Germany but has lived in captivity in Argentina most of her life - following the "unprecedented" decision she can be transferred to a sanctuary.

Ape... Human? Sandra, the 29-year-old orangutan

An orangutan has been given a ticket to freedom after spending 20 years in a Buenos Aires zoo - and will enjoy some legal rights enjoyed by humans.

The ape's lawyer called the decision "unprecedented" after Sandra was ruled a 'non-human person' and entitled to better quality living conditions.

It comes just weeks after a court in New York ruled a chimpanzee, called Tommy, is not entitled to the rights of a human and does not have to be freed by its owner.

Sandra was born in Germany but has lived in captivity in Argentina most of her life - then a local animal rights group filed a habeas corpus writ in her favour.

The legal process is usually used to challenge the illegal imprisonment or detention of a human being.

Now the 29-year-old orangutan can be freed and transferred to a sanctuary.

"Following a dynamic ... judicial interpretation, it is necessary to recognise that the animal is subject to rights, and should be protected," said the ruling, published by the official judicial news agency.

Andres Gil Dominguez, who represented the orangutan, said the "unprecedented" ruling paves the way for the habeas corpus rights to be accepted by the courts and for Sandra to be released at a sanctuary.

"It sets a precedent that changes the paradigm of animal guardianship and will impact their rights," he said.

"It will lead to a lot of discussions.

"From this ruling forward... the discussion will be whether captivity in itself damages their rights."

Earlier this month, a New York appeals court ruled a chimpanzee is not entitled to the rights of a human and does not have to be freed by its owner.

The three-judge Appellate Division panel was unanimous in denying "legal personhood" to Tommy, who lives alone in a cage in Fulton County.

A trial-level court had previously denied the Nonhuman Rights Project's effort to have Tommy released.

The group's lawyer, Steven Wise, told the appeals court in October that the chimp's living conditions are akin to a person in unlawful solitary confinement.

He argued that animals with human qualities, such as chimps, deserve basic rights, including freedom from imprisonment.

He has also sought the release of three other chimps in New York and said he plans similar cases in other states.

But the appeals court said there is neither precedent nor legal basis for treating animals as persons.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...rights-4865507

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...g-9940202.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...an-rights.html

[K9Grip]

As long as the sanctuary is where she is going and not to the wild, I'm ok with this. In some zoo's the animals have a really great quality of life, but in most that's not true. Not sure how I feel about chimps, orangutan's and so on being given "human rights," but I am going to look further into this.
I wish the best for her.

[Mr Poo]

Monkey retirement.. I can dig it.

[commondenom]

Originally Posted by K9Grip ↗

As long as the sanctuary is where she is going and not to the wild, I'm ok with this. In some zoo's the animals have a really great quality of life, but in most that's not true. Not sure how I feel about chimps, orangutan's and so on being given "human rights," but I am going to look further into this.
I wish the best for her.

if the USA took half of its military budget and spent it on learning to communicate with animals we'd be talking to chimps, apes, dolphins and whales within a year or two..... things would change soon enough then.....

[thckoitin]

Originally Posted by commondenom ↗

if the USA took half of its military budget and spent it on learning to communicate with animals we'd be talking to chimps, apes, dolphins and whales within a year or two..... things would change soon enough then.....

And they'd vote smarter. Win-win.

[K9Grip]

Originally Posted by commondenom ↗

if the USA took half of its military budget and spent it on learning to communicate with animals we'd be talking to chimps, apes, dolphins and whales within a year or two..... things would change soon enough then.....

My worry about them being given human rights falls more along the lines of what happens when they maul someone so badly the person needs a face transplant or the person dies.
What are they going to do, put it on trial? Will it understand what it's being charged with, what a conviction means, what a trial is, a judge, lawyers, and so on?
A primate may be highly intelligent I'm just not sure we are at the point of being able to hold them responsible for their actions should something happen. They are not people. How far do their basic rights go?

"He argued that animals with human qualities, such as chimps, deserve basic rights, including freedom from imprisonment."

[commondenom]

well don't worry about it....as you can see in the article they are being given 'some legal rights enjoyed by humans'....so they won't be seen as human (which it also states in the article) and won't have the same rights as humans so won't end up being put on trial....unlike the pigs and dogs in France in Victorian times or a few goats recently in nigeria, or a few others....stupid humans..

http://www.cracked.com/article_17217...put-trial.html

[niknik]

Originally Posted by commondenom ↗

if the USA took half of its military budget and spent it on learning to communicate with animals we'd be talking to chimps, apes, dolphins and whales within a year or two..... things would change soon enough then.....

It wouldn't matter anyway. Because as soon as America cut its military in half the world would be taken over by China or Russia.

[K9Grip]

Originally Posted by commondenom ↗

well don't worry about it....as you can see in the article they are being given 'some legal rights enjoyed by humans'....so they won't be seen as human (which it also states in the article) and won't have the same rights as humans so won't end up being put on trial....unlike the pigs and dogs in France in Victorian times or a few goats recently in nigeria, or a few others....stupid humans..

http://www.cracked.com/article_17217...put-trial.html

Sometimes I wonder if people comprehend what I write.

You can't label them as getting "human rights" if you want to restrict exactly what they get. (As the article states) Basic human rights is an extremely broad statement and when lawyers are involved this is now going to open up a whole new can of worms. Legally a rule book, with something other than the term "human rights," needs to be put into play for these creatures. Cherry picking whatever to get an animal wherever you want it, that's what's going to happen. It's time to write and define a new set of laws if this is going to be happening.

[Mr Poo]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

It wouldn't matter anyway. Because as soon as America cut its military in half the world would be taken over by China or Russia.

Also the apocalypse is coming and were all going to die. REPENT NOW SINNERS!!! REPENT NOW!!!