Birds are made to fly, not live in confinement
Manhattan: The world is mourning the death of New York City’s beloved Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who, after 10 years in captivity, escaped from the Central Park Zoo and, defying the odds, survived for a year on his own. Flaco was admired for how well he adapted to our urban environment. But what moved us most was the fact that he was free — to fly where he chose, to forage for food and to decide his own destiny.
Flaco’s free existence didn’t come without risks. Still, how many birds would choose to spend their lives confined to cages if they could live freely as he did? My guess is none. Birds in captivity may have some comforts, but the experience of freedom is bound to win. Flaco’s death is tragic, but also tragic is the fact that so many of his fellow birds are stolen from their natural habitats, or bred in captivity to be kept as pets.
Each year, millions of parrots, finches and canaries from South America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands are sold in the U.S. as caged birds. Even when bred in captivity, these exotic birds are not domesticated, and their inherent behavioral needs remain the same as their wild counterparts. It’s no surprise that many exhibit neurotic behavior, screaming and feather destruction.
This needs to change. We have an ethical responsibility to provide the best care possible for birds already in captivity. Better still, we should make the idea of caged birds a thing of the past. Denise Kelly
Predator pest control
Ozone Park: The rodent population in NYC would drop drastically if we had more owls like Flaco. Unfortunately, that is not possible. He must have loved the meal choices. Irresistible. Ray Hackinson
Easiest fix
Manhattan: Thank you, Daily News and Elizabeth Forel (“NYC’s pound has gone to the dogs,” op-ed, Feb. 26), for your courage and compassion to address the animal crisis and the disturbing failure of the NYC ACC, New York City government and the ASPCA. I totally agree with the author of this article. Animal care and control is a huge quality-of-life issue. NYC residents pay plenty of taxes to live and work in a civilized environment. Start with some obvious solutions like free or low-cost spay/neuter. Jone Noveck
Outreach
Woodside: I agree with Voicer Elizabeth Forel’s op-ed on the abysmal situation at the ACC. A 34-year contract? I guess their jobs are secure. Maybe this unserious bunch thinks so, too. Maybe this unserious bunch thinks so, too. Some semblance of awareness of how overcrowded it is shouldn’t be that hard to come by. It’s basic biology. Cause, meet effect. Many animal activists are often told, “Do something for people.” The ACC needs to develop and publicize subsidized spay/neuter programs and educate so that people will more easily afford to take measures to end pet overpopulation. Sheila Richardson
How’s she doing?
Bronx: A few months ago, the Daily News covered a story about a widow, originally from Ukraine, who was bitten in her thigh by a shark while swimming in the ocean at a New York beach. Thanks to the efforts of the lifeguards, she was saved and hospitalized. After all this time, I’m wondering, what is her condition? Has her flesh regrown? Is she still in the hospital? Is she able to walk again? I and many of your concerned readers are hoping for her recovery. Can you do a follow-up about her? Arye Barkai
Observable reality
North Arlington, N.J.: Voicer Adam Reich was critical of me for expressing the opinion that President Biden is in serious mental decline, citing Special Counsel Robert Hur’s conclusion that Biden is an elderly man with a poor memory, and backing that up with examples from his interview with the president. The writer claims that the special counsel doesn’t have the credentials to make that assumption. To that I would say: You don’t have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. I wonder if the writer has Havana Syndrome, or maybe a self-deception problem. Armand Rose
Par for the course
Kew Gardens: It was no accident that the Duke basketball player was nearly hurt and allegedly punched in the back by the Wake Forest fans who stormed the court after their upset victory. It is indicative of what is going on in our country today. It is no longer enough to cheer for your home team or vote for the candidate of your choice. The message is you must destroy the other side. If you are not with me, you are my enemy, and these flames are fanned daily by social media and our politicians for their own gain. Wake up, America. You’ve been brainwashed and don’t even realize it, caught up in your hate. Jeff Pullen
Send help
Park Ridge, N.J.: I will simply say I hope the powers that be in Congress will do the right thing and approve the funding to save Ukraine. Please don’t let Russia destroy that country. Steve Ostlund
Sacrificial soldiers
Bronx: Ukraine needs to stop playing games with Putin. Take it to him, bomb Russia as close to him as possible. Don’t worry about escalating the war. Their people are being killed. I just read that more than 80,000 Russian troops have been killed. I cried. These young men are cannon fodder. Their lives don’t mean anything except to their loved ones. Putin looks stone-faced. I know what it’s like being there, the hardships. So many young men killed. Julio Rivera
Ancient aspiration
Margate, Fla.: If Voicer Scott R. Hammond was not totally ignorant concerning Judaism, he would know that Zionism is the singular foundational narrative of Judaism as expressed in the sole source of Judaism, the Jewish Bible, a.k.a. the Old Testament — the Jewish people’s return to Zion, what today is Israel — and was 3,500 years old when Theodor Herzl was just a gleam in his father’s eye. As New York Times columnist Bret Stephens recently said with eloquent brevity: “Whatever else it is, Jewish nationalism — that is, Zionism — is the oldest continuous anticolonial movement in history, starting well before the Romans sought to de-Judaize the area by calling their Levantine colony Palestina. Chanukah, the festival of lights, is one such reminder, celebrating the recovery of Jerusalem from colonizing Greeks in the second century B.C.E.” Richard Sherman
Subjugation plan
Darien, Conn.: Israel seems to believe that occupying the entire West Bank will be the only satisfying program for them. Supporting this dastardly, violent act produces evil-spirited feelings in my mind. Will this continuing disgrace only end when all the Palestinians are owned by Israel? Dan Singer
Overlooked arguments
Albany: No coverage of last week’s oral arguments at the International Court of Justice alleging the illegality of Israel’s occupation? At least the Daily News Editorial Board saw fit to address South Africa’s accusations of genocide (“Genocide and the truth,” Jan. 11), even if you dismissed them as “calumny” before they were delivered (how judicious). You’d do well to parse the salient legal arguments put forth for Namibia by Phoebe Okowa, among them that the increasingly fanatical Israeli government’s apartheid practices — including its wanton use of military force — are prohibited: “It is clear from all the available evidence that these discriminatory practices are not accidental or fortuitous, but are designed for the specific purpose of privileging Jewish Israelis over Palestinians. The fact that the practices in question may have other collateral objectives, such as maintaining security, is irrelevant. It will suffice if the primary motive is discriminatory, even if it also serves ancillary purposes.” M. Goldman
Gracious gift
Jamaica: When I read about the $1 billion donation to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to provide free tuition for all its medical school students, it actually brought tears to my eyes. Hopefully, it’s to allow talented students of all walks of life to study worry-free from future debt. So, I know individual donations have been made, but let’s join forces with Oprah, Tyler Perry, Jay-Z, Lebron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and the other Black billionaires to make a donation to HBCU Meharry Medical College and/or Howard University to provide free tuition in perpetuity for deserving candidates. Carol Grant
