Miyun Park and Peter Singer’s recent essay (“The Globalization of Animal Welfare,” March/April 2012) focuses entirely on domesticated animals and thus makes an easily forgivable mistake. The essayists claim that “of the mammals eaten by humans, pigs . . . may be the most intelligent.”
Which animals are commonly eaten depends on where one lives. In central and western Africa, there is an animal more intelligent than the pig and at far greater risk of extinction from human consumption: our closest relative, the chimpanzee. Offering its consumers more sustainable and more ethical ways to meet their protein needs is a key challenge in protecting our intelligent cousin and the biodiversity of the ecosystems in which it lives.
JUD NIRENBERG
Jane Goodall Institute