Spain moves to grant personhood rights to great apes while raising concerns for other animal protections

The Spanish government plans to ban harmful experiments on great apes, aiming to grant them rights similar to humans. This initiative marks a significant step compared to other countries, where such protections are limited. While 29 countries already prohibit "unnecessary" experimentation on great apes, the definition of "necessary" varies. This often allows for research that exploits their similarities to humans, raising concerns about the treatment of other animals. The debate highlights issues of speciesism, where animals are valued based on their resemblance to humans. Critics argue that this perspective neglects the suffering of less human-like species, such as mice and lesser apes, which also endure painful experiments.