Editor:
Three cheers for the woman who rescued a skunk whose head was stuck in a fast-food cup. Her kindness is a reminder that litter can be deadly. Some animals, as she noted, die slowly from starvation or suffocation, others are struck by traffic or attacked by predators.
We can protect wildlife by rinsing cups, rinsing and replacing the lids on jars and jugs, and crushing cans before recycling them. Fold back the tab on beverage cans to block the hole. To save animals from strangling on six-pack rings, cut apart every section. Birds can get tangled in fishing line and swallow the hooks—prevent it by never going fishing and picking up discarded line. Plastic bags can choke or cause fatal intestinal obstructions. Use reusable bags.
Properly disposing of trash can mean the difference between life and death.
Craig Shapiro, PETA Foundation
