When I think of the number of Great Apes that have served humanity in labs, sometimes under horrendous conditions and in extreme pain, it makes me shudder from revulsion. Humans as a species are unparalleled in their cruelty, and are unique in the animal kingdom as primates who kill for entertainment or pleasure. Spain, to its credit, is expected to take a bold first step in protecting Great Apes from torture and abuse including experimentation, arbitrary imprisonment, and killing except in self-defense. The pending legislation is tied to the findings of the Great Ape Project whose analysis by a group of scientists and scholars of the "undeniable scientific proof that non-human great apes share more than genetically similar DNA with their human counterparts" caused them to conclude that Great Apes should be according some basic fundamental rights and protections. Animal activists would argue the legislation is long overdue, but originating in the land of bullfights, the bill is a breathtaking advance in human wisdom and ethics. Bravo![photo credit: Kevin Bonobo by Franz de Waal, 2003 ]