Melville Capps
asked:
Elephants' tusks are mostly why they are killed by man. If we can remove their tusks, either by genetic modification (Safina said that about 1 in 100 elephants do not develop tusks) or by removing the tusks at a young age then there will be no tusks, no ivory, and little reason for man to kill elephants. There is precedent in hog farming. The tusks of young boars are removed. What do you think ?
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Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel,
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Lindsay Miller
Some places they are starting to apply a pink dye to their tusks, which doesn't harm the animal but makes the ivory worthless. (At least, as long as pink ivory doesn't become fashionable?)
As for "genetic modification" I think you are alluding more to selective breeding, which in a sense humans are already doing by killing those with the biggest tusks, and removing those genes from the pool. Traumatizing young animals is no solution. Either way, you're talking about removing something which evolved because it served a purpose, something integral to what makes an elephant. Don't change the victims, change the perpetrators.
As for "genetic modification" I think you are alluding more to selective breeding, which in a sense humans are already doing by killing those with the biggest tusks, and removing those genes from the pool. Traumatizing young animals is no solution. Either way, you're talking about removing something which evolved because it served a purpose, something integral to what makes an elephant. Don't change the victims, change the perpetrators.
Joanne
No.The elephants need their tusks to protect them in their natural environment.The removal process can be really harmful for the infants because their teeth, as stated earlier, is deeply embedded and the pressure for the removal can also kill the elephants.The changing of the genetics of an elephant is not something that can be done without the wastage of time, lives and also money. I think that we humans should change our way of living and should live in a way to make the earth a better place to live in.......
Molly Lynn
no. Elephants need their tusks - it is a part of who they are - could they survive without such intricate adaptation. Humans need to stop exploiting such fantastic creatures. It begs us to ask the question - "how can we stop poaching" but the answer cannot be simply design an elephant less desirable. Humans need to change not the animal. Removal of a part of an animal is a disgusting notion. Butchering young elephants is not the answer, designing a 'new' elephant is not the answer - It is us who needs to change, us who needs to put down our guns, us who needs to learn to respect the world we live in - it is not our world. we simply exist here and need to learn how to be at one with nature.
Elizabeth
Yes, elephants need their tusks for their protection, especially in Africa. Tusks are teeth and as Erica points out they are deeply embedded. The tusks start to grow when they are around 2-3 years and it would not be wise to remove them even at that age. Infants and youngsters are extremely fragile and this could kill them.
Erica Strand
Though it's possible that elephants could be fine without tusks, their jaw would be dangerously weakened. supporting teeth that big (tusks are teeth, by the way), requires that their roots are very deeply embedded in the mandible.
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