Orangutan Argentina - An Argentinean court has, in a landmark decision, extended the fundamental right to freedom-enjoyed by humans-to an orangutan being held in the Buenos Aires Zoo after concluding that it is unjustified to hold an animal of her level of cognitive ability in captivity.
The Sumatra organgutan named 'Sandra', who is just shy of being 29-years-old, has reportedly been in the Buenos Aires Zoo since 1994. As per the unanimous ruling from the court, she will be transferred to a nature sanctuary in Brazil.
Activists from the Professional Lawyers for Animal Rights (AFADA) sought a habeas corpus in the court in November to have Sandra released. They argued that the orangutan, who has reportedly tried to hide from the public view, is frustrated with life in captivity.
One of the activists Andres Gil Dominguez has noted that granting Sandra freedom will enable her overcome these frustrations with life in captivity. "She lived in captivity for 20 years and the point of today's measure is for her to overcome having been held in captivity and depression, for her to be in semi-free conditions in a sanctuary," he said after the historic ruling.
"This opens the way not only for Great Apes, but also for other sentient beings which are unfairly and arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in zoos, circuses, water parks and scientific laboratories," Lawyer Paul Buomparde is quoted saying by local paper La Nacion.
While the headline-grabbing orangutan ruling in Argentina continues to be celebrated around the world, critics say Sandra's freedom could pave the way for unforeseen consequences as similar request would be made across the world. Others have also questioned the basis for Sandra's freedom as frivolous.
"When you don't know the biology of a species, to unjustifiably claim it suffers abuse, is stressed or depressed, is to make one of man's most common mistakes, which is to humanize animal behavior," the head of biology of the Buenos Aires Zoo Adrian Sestelo said.
The zoo has just 10 days to appeal the ruling. Sandra, the orangutan in Argentina, has ever known freedom. She was born in a German zoo before being transported to Argentina. She has had one child, who was transferred to another zoo.
In captivity orangutans can live up to 50 years. But in the wild they live just 30 to 45 years.
