I commend you on your wonderful article (Hammer, “A Lovely Day at the Zoo,” June 4-11). I love the zoo and did volunteer work there years ago. As I age I see more and more how humans have misunderstood and misused animals for their selfish pleasures and needs. Who coined the term “dumb animal” was dumb. Most people just don’t take the time or make the effort to get to know animals and what they are fully capable of doing or understanding. Your words and thoughts were eloquent. I can only wish the world was full of people like you and your wife.

Humans are very self centered and immoral beings. How about “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” Live by that in all aspects. What a great world it could be.

Of course the main aspect of zoos are the breeding programs to save the endangered species that good old “mankind” (truly an oxymoron if I ever heard one!) and the education people can glean. Also, like dogs, animals need to learn “tricks” to help them be controllable but one can never predict when they will turn on us, but then we have to remember they are meant to be wild and have their own personality. A big problem for humans is we want to control everything and everyone.

I was in Africa some years ago and loved to see the wild animals but gave the guide the order that they were not to be killed if for some dumb reason I got in their way. I was invading their territory.

I have never read your work as I seldom get the paper. I live in the woods of Brown County and Indy does not think we are interested in what happens there.

I wish I had written those thoughts. Keep up the good work.