I remember being a very young child and getting separated from my family at a zoo. I don’t remember how old I was or which zoo we visited that day. What I do remember is standing in front of an enclosure face to face with an enormous, magnificent gorilla. He stared straight into my eyes and I could feel his dignified presence. I knew he was saying, as clearly as if he were speaking in human language, I do not belong here.
I did not become active in the movement for nonhuman animal rights until much later in life, but the encounter with that gorilla lived in my heart. As an adult, I read about captive elephants released to sanctuary and was inspired to visit the local zoo to learn about the elephants held in my city. That was the day I met Billy the Elephant, held in the Los Angeles Zoo since 1989. As with the gorilla and every other nonhuman being held in captivity, I understood that the zoo was not and never could be his home.
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