By Abdullahi Lukman
Spanish conservation group Proyecto Gran Simio, in collaboration with Rainforest Rescue, has called on the government to urgently enact long-overdue legislation to protect great apes, as mandated by the country’s Animal Welfare Act.
In a petition addressed to the Directorate-General for Animal Rights under the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda, the organisations are demanding immediate action to safeguard bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.
The call comes amid growing concern over the delay in fulfilling a legal requirement set by the Animal Welfare Act, which recognised animals as sentient beings when passed in early 2023.
The law required the government to present a draft for great ape protection within three months of its enactment—by December 29, 2023.
However, more than a year later, the legislation remains stalled.
Proyecto Gran Simio and Rainforest Rescue argue that the delay endangers not only the roughly 140 great apes currently in captivity in Spain, often under inadequate conditions, but also weakens Spain’s role in global conservation efforts.
These species face threats such as habitat destruction, illegal trafficking, and human exploitation linked to deforestation, mining, and industrial agriculture.
“A law is vital for the survival of endangered great apes,” said John Hayduska of Rainforest Rescue.
“It would reinforce Spain’s international conservation commitments and send a strong message that these animals belong in the wild.
For those that can’t, legal protection is urgent.”
The organisations emphasized that protecting great apes is not only a matter of species survival but also critical for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem balance.
They continue to gather public support to pressure the government to fulfil its legal and ethical obligation to these endangered primates.
