Animals Auctioned to Hunting Ranches

Re “Wild Animals in S. Africa Reserve Are Going Once, Twice--and Gone,” July 28: The sheer act of procuring these indigenous animals, most of which are only found in Africa--rhino, giraffe, zebra, hippo--and tranquilizing and relocating them to farms so that members of the safari trophy-hunting elite--probably disgraced ex-CEOs and their cronies with far too much time on their hands and way too much money in offshore banks--can hang a head on their living room walls and impress their friends is an atrocity and an outrage. The whole thing stinks of capitalism gone mad.

It’s not enough that we are all victims of world leaders who cannot, try as they may, put an end to man killing man around the globe; now these simple-minded idiots are going to destroy the animals that walked here long before us and continue still to walk the same path as we do. To hell in a handbasket is where we are all headed, if we don’t blow the entire planet off its axis first with our guns.

Joanne Lara

Hollywood

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I have a suggestion for the greedy game farm owners and all the bored wealthy folks: Reverse the game and charge double for having the thrill seekers be chased by the animals. What a kick for all!

Dorothea Szymanski

Walnut

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It’s always galling to learn about man’s solutions to animal “problems,” whether it is halfway around the world or right here in our own backyard on the Channel Islands (“Island’s Wild Pigs Destroying 8,000 Years of Chumash History,” July 28). These solutions invariably seem to end up in the murdering of animals.

Isn’t it clear by now that these solutions should consist of more compassion and less concern about cost-efficiency and time consumption? Don’t animals deserve a more humane fate under our stewardship? After all, we are dealing with living things. Each individual animal being “auctioned” or “eradicated” experiences pain, both mental and physical. We should take that into utmost consideration.

These scientific and “sporting” solutions to animal encroachment and overpopulation are unenlightened and not very progressive. What a shame for the animals and for us all.

Phillip Nawroth

Encino