Letter: Cast adrift in London's jungle

Sir: What an irony. The animal that presumably could look after itself quite well in its natural habitat is caged ('London Zoo lion's victim has eight hours of surgery', 2 January). The man who through no fault of his own cannot, is left to fend for himself in society's complex jungle.

A relative of mine suffers from the same mental illness (as Ben Silcock) and we are very worried that the sheltered accommodation which he needs might be taken away in the course of the Government's drive for 'integration in the community' (ie, profit and cost-cutting). The mauling at London Zoo is a graphic example of what can happen to the vulnerable in our community.

Yours sincerely,

SARAH STEELE

Cranborne, Dorset