Sandra the orangutan is back in the news. Sandra first captured attention across the world when an Argentinian court ruled that she was being subjected to unjust confinement at the Buenos Aires Zoo as she had thoughts, feelings and certain basic rights.
Lawyer Andres Gil Dominguez of The Argentine Association of Professionals and Lawyers for Animal Rights had filed a "habeas corpus" writ for Sandra reports Discovery. A "habeas corpus" writ is a method to seek legal intervention against unlawful imprisonment.
But the habeas corpus had subjected Sandra and many animals like her to large-scale debate. While the lawyers had said that Sandra was being held unlawfully and that she had feelings and basic rights, what complicated matters was the fact that Sandra had been born in captivity, in Germany, and had never lived outside a zoo, reports Bangkok Post.
The Sorocaba nature reserve in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo has now offered to give a home to Sandra, five months after a second court case to decide her fate started.
The news has been met with widespread jubilation. "The nature reserve will pay for her transfer and supervise her transportation," said Sandra's lawyer Dominguez, according to Phys.org.
But for Sandra to move to Sao Paulo, Judge Elena Liberatori, who is presiding over the current case, has to give her go-ahead.
