Dear Editor,

I was glad to read that Japan intends to impose stricter standards on zoos and pet shops ("Stricter standard eyed on animal rights," Nov 26). A 1996 investigation by Zoo Check, a British animal welfare organization that visited 10 Japanese zoos, found substandard conditions in many including enclosures too small for animals, causing them to suffer psychological distress.

In captivity, animals often resort to unnatural "stereotypic" behavior, such as pacing, biting the bars of their cages, and even self mutilation due to stress and lack of the ability to act out their own natural instincts. It's high time that Japan update the standards for its zoos. I hope other countries will follow their precedent.

Kristie Phelps, program coordinator,
In Defense of Animals
Mill Valley, CA 94941 (www.IDAUSA.org)