Sandra, a 30-year-old female orangutan, born in Germany, is in limbo at the Buenos Aires Zoo. The newspaper La Nácion, from Argentina, today published an article summarizing her case and mentions the possibility of she be transferred to the Great Primates Sanctuary of Sorocaba, affiliated with GAP Project, in the coming months.

Today Buenos Aires Zoo has an outsourced management and there is a movement among several Argentine parliamentarians to terminate its existence as a place to display animals, converting it into an Environmental Park for the population. The Zoo is located in the Palermo district, well known in the city. NGO AFADA introduced last year a Habeas Corpus to free Sandra of her solitary captivity at the zoo. The Court accepted that the cause acknowledged that Sandra is a non-human person and has rights to be preserved. The case was passed to Judge Dr. Elena Amanda Liberatori, who should lead the steps to preserve the life and integrity of Sandra.

An International Expert Committee on orangutans was assigned to do a report and recommendations. The Committee has been in contact with us and we established in principle a collaboration agreement to provide the best conditions of life to Sandra at the sanctuary, and perhaps to male orangutan Toto, who is also lonely after the death of his brother in Chapultepec Zoo, in Mexico City.

Sorocaba Sanctuary took full responsibility and presented it to the Judge to bring Sandra to the sanctuary and cover all the expenses necessary for this operation. The same was done for Toto orangutan, Mexico.

The case Sandra has the merit of a Justice of a country, in that case, Argentina, acknowledged that the Great Apes are non-human beings and have rights to be respected, and cannot be exploited at the will of human beings.

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President, GAP Project International

Article La Nácion (in Spanish): http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1832645-la-orangutana-sandra-se-ira-del-zoo-y-vivira-en-un-santuario-de-brasil