Do Talking Gorillas and Signing Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Rights Research Paper

Do Talking Gorillas and Signing Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Rights and What Distinguishes Them from Human Rights - Research Paper Example First of all, human beings must realize the fact that the members of ape family are able to make a number of signs to express their desires and emotions. This is similar to the words and signs used by human beings for communication purpose. Bekoff (2010), states that â€Å"Some of the reports by ape language researchers suggest that nonhuman great apes may be remarkably creative in producing new signing combinations† (p.307). The research works based upon the sign language used by apes prove that they are special among the animals because they make use of signs as the medium of communication and are able to improve the same. On the other side, the chimpanzees and bonobos are able to use some symbols for the purpose of communication. Burling (2007) states that, â€Å"Several captive chimpanzees have gestured spontaneously in iconic or indexical ways to show their human companions what they want† (p.79). The research work based on chimpanzees in captivity proves that they make use of their sign language to communicate with human beings. This is important because chimpanzees make use of their verbal or nonverbal mode of communication to interact with human beings. ... Smith (2002) opines about a bonobo (Kanzi) that â€Å"It would appear that Kanzi in some sense has the faculty of language and, as he can indulge in pretend play, he may also be endorsed with a ‘Theory of Mind’† (p.83). One can see that bonobos make use of sign language as the mode of communication and some bonobos possess comparatively high intelligence. So, these animals are with high intelligence and ability to communicate and they have the individual right to be treated like human beings. Besides, these animals make use of signs to generalize certain objects to a wider context. For instance, the word ‘dog’ is used to signify dogs, not a particular dog. From a different angle of view, this habit of generalization is similar to the children who are not aware of the importance of grammar in communication. But these animals are unable to speak because their vocal cords are not similar to that of human beings. In short, one can see that similarity in i ntelligence between these animals and human beings prove that these animals have certain rights. If human beings possess individual rights, the members of ape family deserve the same. The scenario of human rights is limited to the context of certain rights assigned to human beings. Within this context, the most important right is the right to live. One can see that most of the human rights activists fight to defend this right. At the same time, some members of ape family are special and these animals must have certain rights. For instance, the apes that can use signs and symbols to communicate with each other and with human beings must be considered as similar to human beings. The members of ape family must not be considered as mere animals because their intelligence level