To the editor:
The gorilla Harambe’s killing at the Cincinnati Zoo surely calls our society to ask if it is moral or just to keep animals in a prison to be used, at worst, as objects of entertainment or, at best, under the guise of “education.” (“Harambe the gorilla dies, meat-eaters grieve,” Opinion, June 5)
Is there no accountability on the part of the parents of the child who found himself in the gorilla exhibit? The zoo, surely, carries responsibility for deficiencies in its enclosure. In light of this horrible incident, is it right for the zoo to carry on a breeding program that subjects more animals to such unnatural lives?
Finally, what of the audience? The hysteria of the crowd surely played a part in escalating an already frightening situation. Further, did those who reacted so strongly to Harambe’s killing go home and serve meat to their children?
This horrible incident has raised some tough questions indeed. In my opinion, neither Harambe nor the child should ever have been at the zoo.
M. Michelle Nadon, Aurora, Canada
To the editor:
Bars? What? Have op-ed article writers Peter Singer and Karen Dawn not seen the beautiful natural habitat at the L.A. Zoo?
It is estimated that due to conflicts with humans, the bushmeat and body parts trade, disease and habitat destruction, large mammals in Africa may be extinct by the end of this century. Many sanctuaries do not permit breeding.
As an intelligent primate, I’d much rather be an ambassador for my species in a secure environment—served the best food and tended to by top-notch veterinarians—than take my chances in a national park where poverty and corruption result in little or no protection for the non-human residents.
Lisa Edmondson, Los Angeles
