Lampung elephants

I hope that The Jakarta Post's readers didn't miss the short news item in the July 6 edition (82 elephants in Lampung face death).

The fate of the 82 Lampung elephants is looking rather gloomy to say the least. I visited Way Kambas Park in 1999, and even then the poor creatures were having a tough time of it.

So what are we humans, who have so arrogantly taken upon ourselves the responsibility of this planet's continuation, going to do about it?

Mercy killing as with the drug addicted Thai elephant is a far kinder solution than slowly starving them to death just because under Indonesian law it is illegal to kill the beasts.

There really is very little time left to get our act together -- because all are being hunted, burned or starved to extinction. Look sharp now all you guys running the show, share the "Sugar Cane" around.

CYNTHIA HELEN CROSS

Bogor, West Java