Animal-world thugs (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Animal-world thugs

9:44am Monday 8th December 2008 in Readers' letters

SIR – I write with reference to the letter from Trevor Williams-Berry, ‘Thugs aren’t animals’ (November 27).

While I do not want to detract from the serious issues that he refers to, I do believe that he has to realise that as well as homo sapiens having a small element of thugs or savages, the animal kingdom also does.

A fox in a hen coop will not just kill for its immediate needs, it will kill and maim indiscriminately. The animal kingdom has many such examples of savagery, it is not just the human race.

I am not a dithering do-gooder. I am a firm believer in making the punishment fit the crime, hence, I have no qualms when a farmer takes a gun to a cute little fox!

Michael Masleczko, Claremont Road, Wrose, Shipley