1/9/2024 0 Comments Giant chimpanzeeīonobos are distinguished from common chimpanzees by relatively long limbs, pinker lips, a darker face, a tail-tuft through adulthood, and parted, longer hair on its head. Taxonomically, the members of the chimpanzee/bonobo subtribe Panina-composed entirely by the genus Pan-are collectively termed panins. While bonobos are, today, recognized as a distinct species in their own right, they were initially thought to be a subspecies of Pan troglodytes, due to the physical similarities between the two species. "We'd be respecting their autonomy, their freedom, and allowing them to live their lives as chimpanzees who are as free as they can possibly be in North America.The bonobo ( / b ə ˈ n oʊ b oʊ, ˈ b ɒ n ə b oʊ/ Pan paniscus), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee (less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee), is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan (the other being the common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes). "They would no longer be confined against their will," says Wise. But the people at the Nonhuman Rights Project see this victory in more philosophical terms. Chimps at the sanctuary live outdoors, in family groups-in keeping with chimpanzees' social nature, say supporters of their transfer. While a victory would not give Hercules and Leo total freedom, life at Save the Chimps would be an improvement, says Jensvold. Chimp advocates say this patchwork of regulations underscores the need for legal rights. While strict welfare guidelines regulate the treatment of federally-owned chimps, privately-owned chimps-such as those represented by the Nonhuman Rights Project-are governed by the whims of their owners. Though presently kept at the university, they are reportedly owned by the New Iberia Research Center, a primate facility that has faced allegations of mistreating chimpanzees and illegally breeding them. Little else is publicly known about their lives. Even if the judge decides against Hercules and Leo, the precedent is set that a chimp is person enough to deserve a hearing.Īt Stony Brook University, Hercules and Leo are used in studies of chimpanzee movement designed to investigate the evolution of human bipedalism. Yet it could also be argued, said Lovvorn, that simply issuing the writs-regardless of whatever decision ultimately is made-implicitly recognizes chimp personhood, since under New York law habeas corpus can only be given to a person. "Getting your day in court is always a victory." Lovvorn cautioned that the habeas corpus may simply have been a procedural formality: perhaps Justice Jaffe granted them without truly believing that chimps can have rights. "It's a big step forward," said Jonathan Lovvorn, senior litigator at the Humane Society of the United States. It’s the first time habeas corpus, historically used to free slaves and people wrongly imprisoned, has ever been extended to a species other than Homo sapiens. She issued the writs on behalf of Hercules and Leo, the Stony Brook chimps. If they can’t justify it, the prisoners have to be released-a process set in motion Monday by Justice Barbara Jaffe. Preliminary arguments have focused on whether a court could issue writs of habeas corpus calling upon the chimpanzees’ owners to justify their captivity. Since then, courts have heard the cases several times. The lawsuits sought to have the chimps moved to Save the Chimps, a Florida sanctuary and, more importantly, asked that they be declared legal persons, not with full human rights but with a basic one: not to be owned and caged. Here’s what happened: In December 2013, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed lawsuits in the New York Supreme Court on behalf of four privately owned chimpanzees, considered property in the eyes of the law. The chimps, used in research at Stony Brook University, may never actually be released, but the court’s move represents a historic change in thinking about animal rights. According to a New York judge, two chimpanzees now have a right that until Monday was reserved for humans.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |