Bill of rights for dolpins

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Dolphins and whales should be recognised as 'non-human persons' with their own bill of rights.

Thats what the scientists, animal rights activists and philosophers at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference, believe.

The marine mammals, like humans, have their own personalities, live in highly sophisticated societies and are "far more intellectually and emotionally sophisticated than previously thought, say the experts.

Recent studies have shown increasing similarities between dolphins and humans.

Like humans, dolphins think of the future, follow instructions from watching TV without special training and display altruistic behavior.

The scientists hope international authorities will give cetaceans a legally-binding declaration of rights. That would make it
illegal to keep the animals in marine parks and killing cetaceans would be regarded as murder.