Judge Maria Alejandra Mauritius, from city of Mendoza, Argentina, decided within a process of Habeas Corpus, initiated by AFADA organization – Association Employees and Lawyers fighting for the rights of animals, that female chimpanzee Cecilia should be transferred to Great Primates Sanctuary of Sorocaba, affiliated to GAP Project.

Cecilia, 19, lives alone in the zoo since the unexpected death, in a short time, of her companions, Charly and Xuxa. She is depressed and the conditions in which she was find are precarious, which worsens her mood.

The process is already running for more than a year in the courts of the Province of Argentina. One of the alternatives was to send Cecilia to a zoo in Rio Negro Province, where a male chimpanzee is alone, after being transferred in the night of Cordoba Zoo, in order to prevent his release through another process of Habeas Corpus which was likely to be granted. Chimpanzee Toti, in Rio Negro, also suffer from depression, but the private zoo owners refuse to transfer him to a center where he could enjoy being with his peers.

Judge Maurice gave a deadline of 30 days for the legal documents of Cecilia’s donation to be ready, in order to start the proceedings of her transfer to Brazil.

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President, GAP Project International