Letter to the Globe: Elephants and Dairy Cattle

Marsha Lederman had written a good column about elephants in zoos. My letter to the Globe made an obvious point following up.

Re “Why are we still keeping elephants in zoos?” (March 22): Marsha Lederman writes movingly and well about “the suffering of animals, particularly from human causes”—and in particular about “a mother and her calf being separated.” “Why are we doing this?” she asks. Why indeed? And why, on so-called “farms,” are we still separating calves from their mothers so that we can drink the milk meant for the calves? Zoos are horrific places for non-human animals; factory farms (including dairy and egg operations) are far, far worse. A whole-foods, plant-based diet is better for our own health and better for the planet as well as infinitely better for other animals.

Separate the babies from the mothers; kill the male babies right away; drink the milk that was meant for the babies. Then advertise: Milk is wholesome, milk is good.