Sir, Dea Birkett (Comment, Jan 16; letter, Jan 18) quite wrongly attempted to characterise the Born Free Foundation as an extreme animal-rights organisation, given to making nonsensical statements and which supports, or even takes part in, bully-boy tactics. Born Free does not threaten people.
I can find no source for her claim that “Born Free farcically called for an end to ‘elephants eating ice cream’ for our entertainment”.
Birkett claims that “people continue to flood into the big top” but in our joint report with the RSPCA on circuses (www.bornfree.org.uk/circus) we point out that “public appetite for the exploitation of wild animals in circuses is at an all time low, with 80 per cent of the public opposed to the use of wild animals in circuses, according to a MORI poll commissioned by Animal Defenders International in autumn 2005”.
WILL TRAVERS
Chief Executive
Born Free Foundation
Horsham, W Sussex