The American utopia

posted in 09 Dec 2014

When we started to work with GAP Project, more than one decade ago, we asked the project lawyers why they did not enter with a declaratory order in the Supreme Court of the United States prompting the basic rights of great apes and their recognition as No-Human persons. The frustrating answer was that the American society and its legal system were not ready yet to accept this sort of thesis.

When we received the news that a court of the State of New York denied the category of “legal person” to chimpanzee Tommy, that the lawyer and fighter for the rights of primates Steven Wise had requested, it did not surprise us.

The American society is still a society steeped in racism. Currently we see how the black minority manisfest in the streets of several cities of the country to enforce their rights, hardly conquered, but not completely, a few decades ago.

If racism still permeates the minds of many citizens, it is inconceivable that a minority, that neither American is, but African, advance in their struggle for basic rights in that society.

The fight will continue, since Steven Wise and his project of Rights for Non-Human will reach other higher courts.

Maybe Tommy, who is over 40 and lives in the house of a citizen who got his tutelage of an entertainment center where he worked, will not be able to see the result of efforts of the North American who want to see the extinction of racism in the country.

Breaking paradigms is not easy, especially in a society with a long history of abuse and exploitation of minorities, trying to reach an equal status in their society.

GAP Project continues its worldwide purpose of recognition of Great Apes as Non-Human persons. In each country that achieves it, it will be a breakthrough that will resonate in the rest of the planet. Each won lawsuit will enforce the rights of great apes and will be a world victory. We should not give up; racism must be cut off from the human soul and the conquest of the rights of the forgotten primates minority will be a victory that is priceless.

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President, GAP Project International

News - More News

posted in 12 Nov 2024

Chimpanzees’ Task Performance Changes When Observed by Humans

A new study finds that chimpanzees, like humans, are affected by being watched: their performance on computer tasks improved on difficult tasks with larger human audiences but declined on simpler ones. This phenomenon, the “audience effect,” was previously thought to be unique to humans.

posted in 30 Oct 2024

Spain seeks ground-breaking law for great apes

A chimpanzee is pictured at the Pridadomus recovering centre, founded by Dutch association AAP, in Villena, near Alicante. (Jose Jordan / AFP)

For decades Achille, 50, lived alone in wretched conditions in a cramped circus cage. But better days could lie ahead for the chimpanzee and almost 150 great apes in Spain, who stand to benefit from a pioneering bill that would strengthen laws safeguarding their well-being.

posted in 12 Sep 2024

Demand Sanctuary for Alamogordo Chimps

26 chimpanzees remain imprisoned at the Alamogordo Primate Facility, where they endured years of cruel experimentation. Though the National Institutes of Health ended invasive research on chimps almost a decade ago, these survivors have yet to experience the peace and sanctuary they deserve.

posted in 13 Aug 2024

Chimpanzees converse like humans, new study finds

The study, which is the result of analyzing conversations of various groups of chimpanzees in the wild in Africa for over 15 years, confirms that our evolutionary relatives also engage in rapid turn-taking in their conversations, mainly involving gestures.

posted in 31 Jul 2024

Peter Singer announces support for the Great Apes Law in Spain

Philosopher Peter Singer, one of the founders of the Great Ape Project, announced his support for the Law. "The Great Ape Project Spain has been working for many years to improve the legal situation of great apes in Spain, and is supporting this legislation as the best achievable."

Residents' Stories

posted in 24 Apr 2024

Katai and Sansão: orangutans in captivity in Brazil

Female orangutan Katai is the only resident of the species in a sanctuary in Brazil. Sansão lives alone in the São Paulo zoo for years. A lawsuit requests Sansão to be transferred to the sanctuary, aiming to improve both orangutan’s…

Katai

Orangutan

Meet the beautiful Katai! The female orangutan was born in 1985 in a German zoo and is a Sumatra/Borneo hybrid. Since 2010, she has been one of the residents of the Anami Institute's Great Apes Sanctuary, in Paraná.

Date of birth: 02/07/1985
Origin: Germany
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil

posted in 03 Apr 2024

Children snatched away by the circus

Throughout her life in the circus, Lucy gave birth to several children, but had no chance of becoming a mother. The babies were snatched from her on the day they were born, probably to be sold.

Lucy

Chimpanzee

Lucy is a docile female and very zealous with her children. During her life in the circus, she had several puppies, but no opportunity to raise them, as they were taken from her the same day they were born. With her arrival at Anami, this reality changed. Lucy can raise Noel, her youngest son.

Date of birth: 1981
Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil

posted in 29 Nov 2023

In memory of Johny - 05/20/2000 - 11/29/2014

"Johny was the beginning of everything, of a struggle that will never die." The Starostik couple took care of a baby chimp rejected at birth in a zoo and created a suitable place for welfare in captivity.

in memoriam

Johny