Judge orders chimp to be freed from zoo enclosure after ruling the animal has ‘non-human rights’

Cecilia, a chimpanzee in her 30s, has been kept alone in a concrete enclosure for years at the shabby Mendoza Zoo in Argentina after the death of two of her mates.  In a landmark animal welfare case, a judge has ruled that Cecilia is a “being” with “non- human rights”.  Judge Mauricio said non-human creatures possessed rights related to their “animal essence”. She said,  “We’re not talking about the civil rights enshrined in the Civil Code, but instead the species’ own rights to development, to life in their natural habitat.”

Following complaints  which resulted in a two-year legal wrangle, Judge María Alejandra Mauricio ruled Cecilia be freed and transferred to a the Great Ape Project’s sanctuary in Brazil, where the chimp will be able to socialise with other chimpanzees and live in humane conditions.

Animal rights activists argued her confinement without fellow chimps was unlawful and the grubby conditions were affecting Cecilia’s health.

Mendoza Zoo is currently undergoing a refit with the support of the Argentinian government.