Elephant And Rhino Farming

[hc4361]

I listened to a debate on the Jeremy Vine show today where a learned man said that elephants and rhinos need to be farmed for their tusks and horns as the Chinese, the major buyers, have so much money their demand will be met legally or otherwise.
He also argued that is wrong to deprive African countries of utilising such a valuable resource.

I sort of see his points but know very little of elephants and rhinos.
My main questions are:

1. How long does it take an elephant to grow a full size pair of tusks, and the same for rhino horn?

2. Do elephants and rhinos have to be slaughtered to remove the tusks/horns?

3. If they can be removed from a live animal without suffering to the animal, will the tusk/horn grow back?

[woofgang]

Rhino horns can be sawn off while the animal is alive but they have to be anaesthetised first which carries its own risks. Rhino horns grow back, elephant tusks don't. in some parks, rhino dehorning to protect the animals from poaching has been tried with mixed results.
http://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/issues_for_debate/de-horning.
They have tried it on elephants too.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Elephant-tusks-pre-cut-to-discourage-poachers/tabid/1160/articleID/278842/Default.aspx

I don't see his point at all.

[emmie]

i would shoot dead any poacher. doesn't answer your questions, but
tourism to African countries probably brings in much money, if they kill all the Rhino's and Elephants what will they start on next.

[DaisyNonna]

And how would you do that scrivens?

[DaisyNonna]

Specifics please.

[emmie]

so once the Chinese have exhausted all of Africa for their dubious medicines, or for trinkets what will they pick on next.

[DaisyNonna]

Never had the slightest wish to attempt surgery on a rocket. Fireworks can be unstable.

[hc4361]

Thanks for all answers. I find it fascinating.

I do know that a lot of African safari parks do two types of safaris, one for those who use a camera to take shots, the other who use rifles and never the two shall meet. It stands to reason that a safari is of limited size and animals will breed, leaving a surplus and safari parks can't exist without a profit.

If a very wealthy person waves hundreds of thousands of pounds at a poacher for horn and/or tusk, he is going to get it - the fact that it is illegal simply pushes the price up and so greater is the temptation to the poacher.

Maybe farming is the answer but I have no idea how it would work. I know there are crocodile farms that produce crocodile skin for the eastern and western markets but crocodile meat is readily available in the western world, including the UK, so it is farmed not just for skin.

I can't imagine how it would work for elephants and rhinos.