The Spanish parliament is the first in history to approve human rights being extended for a distant cousin of mankind – the ape.

The Great Ape Project is an international organisation aimed at the protection of apes from abuse, torture and death. Heading the demand for human rights for apes was Pedro Poza the Spanish director of the organisation, who described the event as ‘a key moment in the defence of our evolutionary comrades’ in his interview with the Times.

This comes as particular surprise to many as Spain is well known for its long standing and unshakable tradition of bullfighting. But even more peculiar is that Spain; a country which has no Apes of its own (apart from those in zoos) has become the primate’s legal guardian.

The new legislation makes it an offence to carry out harmful experiments on an ape, to keep them in circuses or have them perform in TV commercials or films. However, it will remain legal to keep them in zoos, so long as their living conditions are not sub-human.