Since last year Matt Pan, a 26-year-old chimp ha been in the middle of a legal debate over personhood.
When Matt's animal shelter filed for bankruptcy in February, a wealthy businessman came forward offering to pay the costs of the chimp's upkeep, but under Austrian law, only a person can receive gifts. So, a group of activists sought to have Matt, who has the cognitive abilities of a child, declared a person.
But a person Matt is not, Austria's Supreme Court ruled yesterday. The court rejected the activists' petition to appoint a trustee for the chimp, affirming a lower court's ruling that Matt, however endearing, cannot claim personhood, even though chimps and humans share around 99 percent of the same DNA.
Quote:Court bars chimp from human race
January 16, 2008
VIENNA ?- 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 rights group said it will take the case to a European rights court.
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