Forthcoming Legal Rights for Great Apes in Spain?

In 2008 a committee of Spain's national legislature became the first to vote for a resolution to extend limited rights to non-human primates. The parliamentary Environment Committee recommended giving chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans the right not to be used in medical experiments or in circuses, and recommended making it make it illegal to kill apes. This will hopefully signal the beginning of a new shift across the world towards legal rights for animals of other species.

India bans the keeping of elephants in zoos

The Central Zoo Authority, on behalf of the Government of India, has issued orders to ban the keeping of elephants in zoos.

The Indian government has become the first in the world to end the keeping of elephants in zoos, recognising that such conditions are incapable of meeting the needs of the species.

Under the directive from the Central Zoo Authority, all elephants kept in zoos will be moved to sanctuaries, national parks and reserves, changing the future for around 150 elephants.

Animal Rights Africa welcomed the move and joined with other animal protection and conservation organisations, and leading elephant experts, to call on governments of other countries to follow this lead.

The statement backed by Animal Rights Africa is:

It has been confirmed that the Central Zoo Authority, the Government agency responsible for India's zoos, has recognised that zoos cannot provide a suitable environment for elephants and has taken the momentous step to order, through a CZA Directive, the relocation of all elephants in zoos in India to sanctuaries, national parks and reserves. The decision of the CZA reflects the growing concern expressed by many citizens, animal welfare groups and elephant experts* about the inadequacy of the zoo environment for elephants.

The Directive will have a significant and potentially positive impact on up to 150 elephants currently in Indian zoos.

Provided that certain safeguards and animal welfare measures can be guaranteed, we* welcome the decision of the CZA. Further, we call on the Indian Government to extend the decision to include elephants in circuses, which are also unable to provide a suitable environment for such complex, social and wide-ranging animals, and call upon governments in other countries to follow India’s example and end confinement of elephants in zoos and circuses.

Importantly, the CZA also confirms that there is little or no benefit to the in situ conservation of wild elephants derived from keeping elephants in zoos and the like.