Chimps Not People: Austrian Court
An Austrian appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling (posted about here) and declared that chimpanzees are not people.
VIENNA, Austria - A chimpanzee cannot be declared a person, Austria's Supreme Court has ruled, activists said Tuesday. An animal rights group had sought to have the chimp, Matthew Hiasl Pan, declared a person in hopes of gaining guardianship of the animal.
The shelter where Matthew has lived for 25 years is going bankrupt, threatening to leave him homeless. Donors have offered to help support him, but under Austrian law, only a person can receive personal gifts.
The Vienna-based Association Against Animal Factories sought to have him declared a person and petitioned to be appointed Matthew's trustee.
The 'activists' are now planning to appeal to the European court of human rights. Which should - unless the court is completely bonkers - result it the lawsuit being hurled back in their faces. Once again, the 'activists' are throwing away money on all of these legal antics instead of trying to buy the shelter or otherwise arrange for the animal's care.
Which really means it isn't about the animal's welfare in any way, shape or form.
By martian, Wednesday, 16 January , 2008 @ 3:03 pm
However, it has the upside of keeping these ‘activists’ tied up with monkey business and out of the rest of the worlds’ hair! (I couldn’t resist)