WAUCHULA, Fla. (AP) — A 33-year-old orangutan granted legal personhood by a judge in Argentina is settling into her new surroundings at the Center for Great Apes in central Florida.
Patti Ragan, director of the center in Wauchula, Florida, says Sandra is "very sweet and inquisitive" and adjusting to her new home. She was born in Germany and spent 25 years at the Buenos Aires Zoo before arriving in Florida on Nov. 5.
In 2015 Judge Elena Liberatori ruled that Sandra is legally not an animal, but a non-human person with rights. She remained at the zoo, which closed in 2016, until leaving for the U.S.
At the center, Sandra joins 21 orangutans and 31 chimpanzees rescued or retired from circuses, stage shows and the exotic pet trade.
What other people are reading right now:
- Teacher accused of having sex with student found dead along with her husband
- Mom whose toddler was run over by an SUV lost another child in a 2015 crash, deputies say
- Polk County food bank damaged by tornado reopens
- Thief steals thousands of dollars in gifts from Clearwater couple's wedding
- Kayaker captures video of monkeys belly-flopping into Florida river
FREE 10NEWS APP: