Letters to the Editor: Don’t even think about taking the mammoths from the La Brea Tar Pits

To the editor: Thanks to David L. Ulin for expressing his opinion that the fiberglass mammoths should stay in the La Brea Tar Pits. I am so tired of everything in Los Angeles being re-thought by people who aren’t from here.

I too have loved the tar pits since I arrived here 50 years ago. Why is it that everything here must be turned into a theme park when nature is so much more interesting?

Our tar pits are nature. Yes, we’ve added the mammoths, but they were part of our nature long ago. They and everything else about the tar pits are real and a fantastic lesson bubbling up from the ground in the middle of our city.

Developers have massive egos, so it’s only normal for one to suggest getting rid of the most beloved part of the tar pits.

Just leave the tar pits and our mammoths alone.

Patricia Mace, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Ulin is correct to oppose the relocation of the mammoths in any redesign of the La Brea Tar Pits.

The importance of the tar pits as a prehistoric site should not be minimized. For me, the tar pits inspired a lifelong interest in prehistoric animals and will always be a landmark in the city’s culture that existed before the Page Museum was even conceived.

This is not a theme park. Do not attempt to revise an important segment of Los Angeles history into an outlandish contemporary attraction.

Thomas Saito, Burbank

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To the editor: I know they are a little hokey and not very “scientific,” but the mammoths create an immediate connection to the plight of the animals and the effect of the tar pits on wildlife.

Personally, this is a favorite feature and a touchstone for our family when visiting the La Brea Tar Pits. Even my 20-year-old grandson’s first stop is to spend a few minutes with the mammoths.

Sharon Kaiser, Playa del Rey