Sapiation

The process of engineering or reconstructing an animal such that it achieves sapience. This process is highly frowned upon, with those disapproving of the practice calling them abominations. The past few decades have seen them achieve wider acceptance, but they are, regardless, exceptionally rare, and combined with their sterility and unenhanced forms, they are often pitied as a passing curiosity.

The most frequent subjects of sapiation are bonobos and dolphins. Other great apes and a number of birds also are frequently sapiated. It is rare that they receive any other significant biological enhancements, however, though dolphins played an extensive role in tweaking the human mind and many feel that the gift should be returned in kind.