Meet Sandra, an Orangutan who has spent 25 years in a tiny prison cell-like enclosure in a zoo in Argentina, isolated from any other Orangutans.
Sandra was born in captivity, and has lived at the zoo in Buenos Aires Zoo for 20 years when the zoo officially closed it's doors in 2016. The park officials announced the animals within the zoo would be set free but the experts struggled with the decision on what to do with Sandra.
According to a court ruling in 2014, Sandra was considered a 'non-human person,' who was entitled to some legal rights enjoyed by humans. However, the judge who fought to free Sandra in 2014 took the side of the zoo caretakers and thought the best course of action to take with Sandra would be just to improve conditions within her cage, rather than send her to a reserve aboard.
Many officials feared that moving her would all result in negative aspects, fearing she would not survive.
Today, she has been granted 'personhood' and is officially settling into her new life in Wauchula, Florida, along with 21 other rescued orangutans and chimpanzees!
