>Like Bruno Comby I strongly tend to assume that milk from nonhuman
>species was never available under natural conditions and therefore is
>not a food for humans (no genetical adaptation).


Hello Stefan,

While I respect your opinion I don't agree with it.  Is a herd of goats or
sheep considered "unnatural?"  Because unlike the mother elephant, these
animals are not very likely to hunt you down and kill you because you milk
them  >;-)

I simply feel like it's a matter of our adaptation to our surroundings, and
I feel that it's very natural.  The one thing I will agree with you on is
that it seems that natural selection will take care of those who try to milk
elephants.  So it also seems pretty "natural" that you don't hear a lot
about elephant milk.  However, it also seems that humans have been
successfully milking dairy cattle, goats, and sheep for many hundreds upon
hundreds of years with great success, and without many "unnatural" tools (Is
a bucket to put milk in considered "unnatural?").  I'd be interested to hear
why you think milking those animals is a bad practice.

I don't see how milking animals is much different in principle than
harvesting honey from bees.

What about the ants who milk aphids?  Do they need to reconsider?

Milky Regards (and Happy Holidays),

Ben

(who in a few days moves to Utah -- the land flowing with [goat] milk and
honey -- >;-)