Beating Outrage

I cannot begin to express the outrage I felt when I read the story in the L.A. Times (“Senior Trainer at Zoo Says Elephant Was Beaten Until ‘It Rolled Over and Moaned,’ ” May 26) about the treatment accorded the elephant transferred to the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

As for Mr. Alan Roocroft, the supervisor in charge of elephants, who stated: “This is just a drop in the pond for what happens to them in the wild.” The man has oatmeal for brains and all the delicate sensitivity of an anvil. Someone ought to drop HIM in a pond!

Just where in the wild, Mr. Roocroft, will you find an elephant . . . or any other wild animal . . . “stretched out on (her) knees and elbows . . . tied so close to the floor (she) couldn’t move . . . and then beaten senseless with sticks?

It would behoove those in charge of the San Diego Park to investigate thoroughly how ALL the animals in that complex are treated. I trust they will be sensible enough to dismiss those brutal, so-called elephant trainers, and then be certain no other keepers are mistreating their charges.

Locking up magnificent creatures is bad enough. Mistreating them is unforgivable!

Besieged by stories regarding gang wars; licentious, greedy TV preachers; big-mouth lying politicians and those who abuse animals, I now subscribe to the conclusion drawn by the “Star Trek” actor who spoke the line . . . “beam me up, Scottie. There is no sign of intelligent life on this planet!”

MARY JANE WOOD

Laguna Beach