120,000-year-old sacred mountain given human rights

The New Zealand government officially recognizes the sacred mountain Taranaki as having the same rights as a citizen.

New Zealand's Mount Taranaki has been granted legal rights as a person, becoming the third location in the country to be given "legal personality".

Specifically, the eight local Māori tribes and the government will share responsibility for protecting the sacred mountain. Previously, the tribe had long considered the mountain as an ancestor or family member. As such, anyone who abused or damaged Taranaki would be considered to be harming a tribe member.

Minister for Negotiating the Agreement, Andrew Little, said the memorandum of understanding signed earlier this week specifically states that Mount Taranaki will become a “legal entity in its own right”, similar to the Whanganui River being granted legal personhood in January 2017.

Minister Little said this would help to better protect the sacred mountain. The 120,000-year-old Mount Taranaki is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, especially after Lonely Planet named it one of the top places to visit in 2016.

The majestic and magnificent beauty of Mount Taranaki when seen from above.

The 120,000-year-old Mount Taranaki has been dormant since 1775 and is New Zealand’s most perfectly formed volcano, as well as one of the most symmetrical cone volcanoes in the world.

The volcano is located in the heart of Egmont National Park, south of New Plymouth, near the west coast of the North Island. A national park covering much of the volcano was established in 1990. Visitors can explore lush rainforest and enjoy a warm, year-round ocean climate.

According to Dantri