THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608210008
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 28 lines
A pair of news stories over the weekend suggest that, while there may be intelligent life on Earth, humans are not necessarily in the running for first prize.
At an Illinois zoo, a 3-year-old tumbled 18 feet into a gorilla cage sustaining serious head injuries. A female gorilla picked up the child and carried him tenderly to zoo keepers. The child was hospitalized and appears to be recovering.
Meanwhile, at Yosemite National Park, a black bear cub encountered a Boy Scout troop from California. The scouts may help little old ladies across the street, but their reaction to the baby bear was less benign. They stoned it to death.
The scouts have claimed they were trying to scare the bear away and were acting to protect themselves. Local residents thought that explanation suspicious since they believe the bears pose little threat. An initial investigation by park rangers also found that the bear wasn't killed in self-defense.
This suggests that those who believe in man's descent from ape could be literally correct. If humans can't act any better than this, they may actually represent a descent from so-called lesser species. by CNB