Environment

Spain awards apes legal rights

by Jordan Yerman | July 3, 2008 at 05:33 am

601 views | 15 Recommendations | 6 comments

Spanish Parliament has approved a resolution to grant chimps, gorillas, and orangutans statutory rights previously reserved for their human cousins. Support for this action has crossed party lines and is expected to carry the proposal through to law within the year.

The laws will ban potentially harmful research, ape trading, profiting from apes, and using apes in performances. Zoos could still legally hold apes, but living conditions must be “optimal”.

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Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:54 on July 3rd, 2008

jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff. Its about time! Just hope that others may fallow!

JeffHuang

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:47 on July 3rd, 2008

jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff. Yeah I took an archaeology class in university and you would not believe some of the conditions and things these apes go through.

karinawhitmarsh

at 21:50 on July 3rd, 2008

Taking pictures through glass can be challenging. I wanted to "get" inside and just "be" with them. I felt humbled by their features, particularly their fingers-- so like us. It was closing time and we were left by ourselves..finally no one around to get in the way of my pictures. I didn't use flash, I didn't want to. I figured they had enough all day from snap friendly kids. With a steady hand and the desire to capture their personalities I felt I did justice to these amazing creatures.

karinawhitmarsh has contributed a photo to this story.

bigbird3

at 03:45 on July 4th, 2008

Anyone interested in this story will be interested in a place called Monkey World in Dorset, England. It rescues apes from all around the world and rehabiltates them back to what they should be

julianw

at 15:53 on July 4th, 2008

See previous NP coverage here.

danesller0127

at 11:52 on July 13th, 2008

Great country!!! Spain ...jordan' i like this source, it's very interesting...

"Gorillas, one of nature's most misundertood animals"

Scientist Dian Fossey fought to protect these gentle giants from destructions, and why all gorillas must be protected from imminent extinction.

"Gorillas in the Mist" Movie: starring Sigourney Weaver playing the role of Fossey - is a portrait of determined woman who willing to do anything to save the mountain gorillas that she studies. Fossey's first hand account of her thirteen year experienced living and studying four gorilla families on the 14,000 foot Virunga volcanoes in Rwanda. ...Thanks!!!

danesller