Page 104 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #02

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LETTER Behind closed doors
OF THE As an animal lover, and an
MONTH experienced, responsible cat
owner, I was dismayed to read
Bob Holderness-Roddam’s
letter “Forgotten Felines”
Really (Your Feedback, December
2017). His view advocates animal
wild cruelty by suggesting that cat
owners should confine their
holiday feline companions indoors,
which restricts their natural
instincts to roam and to
On a recent visit to Sri hunt. Further, to confine a cat
Lanka I was lucky enough indoors is not easy, as anyone
to see some of the planet’s who has had to restrict a cat
most charismatic animals, including a to the indoors (for example, for
blue whale. While on a boat trip off the medical reasons) would testify.
coast of Mirissa, the colossal cetacean After decades of wildlife
appeared in the distance. Every dive observation, it is clear to me
brought the marine mammal closer that the activities of humans
to the vessel, until I could count the destroy other animal life on a
remoras clinging to its skin. much grander scale than cats.
The whole holiday was surreal. My Sharon Painter, Staffordshire
head spun with sightings of technicolour
feathers and formidable talons, and Elephant in the room
hearing babbling calls, but the highlight Regarding “The True Cost
occurred during a safari. of Meat” (Agenda Analysis,
We spent 12 fruitless hours December 2017), I have never
searching for leopards in Charlotte was delighted been a great meat eater and am
Lunugamvehera National to see this blue whale, trying to reduce the amount
Park, near Hambantota. and other exciting of meat in my diet further,
species, in Sri Lanka.
The following day we but that really isn’t the
returned to the park and point. Jonathon Porritt is right
were rewarded with the about reluctance to examine
sight of a leopard lazing the underlying causes of
in a tree. It stirred and environmental degradation.
disappeared from view I was not surprised to find
before emerging from no mention anywhere in
behind a trunk, giving this article of the cause that
us a disdainful look. I underlies all the others, which
stopped breathing, was is the growth of the world’s
completely hypnotised human population. Unless we
and tried not to burst into tackle this, all other efforts to
tears of joy as the big cat save a planet worth living on
sauntered off. are ultimately futile.
Charlotte Varela, Burnley Susan Francis, via email

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104 BBC Wildlife February 2018