The Spanish parliament has passed a resolution supporting certain rights for non-human great apes, and the resolution is expected to become law. Under the new law, non-human great apes could not be used for vivisection, circuses, television commercials or filming. The victory is the result of a campaign by the Great Ape Project, an organization that works to provide great apes with "the right to life, the freedom of liberty and protection from torture."

This is an undeniable step forward, but some point out that zoos in Spain will continue to infringe on the apes' right to freedom, and that the apes are being granted rights because of their similarity to humans, and not just because they are sentient beings. The Great Ape Standing and Personhood project also campaigns for the rights of great apes, advocates veganism, and bases their argument on consciousness instead of similarity to humans.