Biologist gone wrong

Way to go, Phyllis Deal! This master letter writer from Hightstown neatly handled a situation described in an earlier Trenton Times story. A female bear with three cubs reportedly charged a hiker and his dog. Actually, she knocked over the hiker and attacked his dog.

As a result, Ringwood Park’s supervising biologist said the bear had to be killed “because she attacked a human.” We have just met another human who believes that such people-centric macho statements (and beliefs) are justified because humans have dominion over everything else on earth.

Reacting to the biologist’s statement, Deal said “Poppycock”! Then she pointed out the obvious (except to the biologist) likely scenario: that the bear viewed the dog as a threat to her cubs. Simple. Period. Over and out.

And Deal went on: “Leave the animals alone! . . . Why must we continue to kill defenseless creatures? We do not own the world. Other species have the right to exist.”

So far, no follow-up story in the Trenton Times. We can only hope the park biologist – whose specialty must be plants and not animals – thought better of his initial reaction.
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