India has officially recognized dolphins as non-human persons, whose rights to life and liberty must be respected.

Dolphin parks that were being built across the country will instead be shut down.

India's Ministry of Environment and Forests has advised state governments

to ban dolphinariums and other commercial entertainment that involves the capture

and confinement of cetacean species such as orcas and bottlenose dolphins.

In a statement, the government said research had clearly established cetaceans

are highly intelligent and sensitive,

and that dolphins "should be seen as 'non-human persons' and as such should have their own specific rights."