From Graeme Puxty
I find the attitude of British zoos and safari parks towards dealing with the
issue of people contracting the simian herpes B virus from monkeys very arrogant
(22 April, p 16).
Simply slaughtering the monkeys is not acceptable. People have taken these
monkeys away from their natural environments and so have a responsibility to
provide them with artificial environments where they can live happily. However,
the attitude seems to be that if providing this environment becomes at all
difficult or means that humans can no longer view the monkeys as easily (and
they become less profitable) then all responsibility can be shed and the monkeys
can be shot.
Many people go to zoos and safari parks to view animals they would never see
otherwise. The problem is people also like to view the animals in a sanitised
way. It is silly to think that wild animals can be taken into captivity and then
expected to behave well and be disease-free. Injury and disease are part and
parcel of a natural environment and people should be willing to accept this if
they wish to keep animals in captivity.
chgp@paracelsus.newcastle.edu.au
