Orangutan Deemed to Be ‘Person’ in First-Ever Court Ruling

December 29, 2014

(The Toronto Star) – Canadian and U.S. animal-rights activists are applauding an Argentine court’s decision this month to grant a form of “non-human personhood” to a 29-year-old Sumatran orangutan named Sandra — believed to be the first-ever ruling of its kind. “Sandra will now be a lightning rod for all animals,” said Barbara Cartwright, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. “It’s another turning point in recognizing animals as having a level of rights.”