Person Status For Vienna Chimp

As ludicrous as this might seem at first I would suggest that the next time you are in Timmies look around and ask yourself if a chimp drinking a double latte no foam would look out of place.

Are they bananas?
Group wants chimp declared person
By AP

VIENNA -- In some ways, Hiasl is like any other Viennese: He indulges a weakness for pastry, likes to paint and enjoys chilling out watching TV.

But there are differences: He doesn't care for coffee, and he isn't a person.

However, in a case that could set a global legal precedent for granting basic rights to apes, animal rights advocates are seeking to get the 26-year-old chimpanzee legally declared a "person."

Hiasl's supporters argue he needs that status to become a legal entity that can receive donations and get a guardian to look out for his interests.

'THE RIGHT TO LIFE'

"Our main argument is that Hiasl is a person and has basic legal rights," said Eberhart Theuer, lawyer for the Association Against Animal Factories.

"We mean the right to life, the right to not be tortured, the right to freedom under certain conditions," Theuer said. "We're not talking about the right to vote here."

The campaign began after the bankruptcy of the animal sanctuary where Hiasl and another chimp, Rosi, have lived for 25 years. Chimp life expectancy in captivity is about 60 years.

SMUGGLED IN CRATE

Activists want to ensure the apes don't wind up homeless if the shelter closes. Both have already suffered: They were captured as babies in Sierra Leone in 1982 and smuggled in a crate to Austria for use in pharmaceutical experiments. Customs officers intercepted the shipment and turned them over to the shelter.

Donors have offered to help, but there's a catch: Under Austrian law, only a person can receive personal donations.

"Chimps share 99.4% of their DNA with humans," AAAF chief Martin Balluch said. "Okay, they're not homo sapiens. But they're obviously also not things -- the only other option the law provides."