Leonardo DiCaprio Instagram – Repost from @postclimate • Turtle hatchlings have legal rights in Panama. A law passed by the country’s National Assembly earlier this year guarantees sea turtles the right to thrive in a healthy environment, a protection until now typically reserved for humans. Panama is part of a growing list of countries and communities around the world latching on to the Rights of Nature movement, which seeks to grant wildlife a similar legal status to that of individuals and companies. Advocates of wild animals are hailing it as an essential tool to combat the biodiversity crisis. Unlike more traditional animal protections, which usually kick in when a species is threatened or endangered, rights of nature laws are meant to prevent that from happening. Marine conservation biologist Callie Veelenturf, who helped draft Panama’s new turtle protections, said they give “any member of the public of Panama the opportunity to be the voice of nature in the court system, and advocate for nature’s rights on her behalf.”