# Tiger Farming, Reasonable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 9, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871 "2009-05-09T20:05:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/21 "2009-05-10T01:56:26Z")
> [@Toolie](#): > > No one else finds it ironic that the the author of the OP is named **Two Many Cats**? _raises hand_ ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/22 "2009-05-10T03:16:34Z")
Ibex and black rhinos find Texas a lovely place to live. Former VP candidate Lloyd Bentsen’s cousin Calvin kept some rhinos on his spread. I assume the coyotes took positions of submission whenever they thought they were within view. Having lousy vision, but good noses, I also assume the rhinos were not reassured. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/23 "2009-05-10T03:18:57Z")
They should just put a bounty on tiger poachers. Then they would all kill each other, and the tigers would be safe. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/24 "2009-05-10T05:51:53Z")
Just to satisfy my curiosity, does anyone know which parts of a poached tiger are used? And if tiger ranches were established and operated legally, which parts would find a market? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/25 "2009-05-10T05:58:35Z")
What would happen if environmentalist groups just flooded the market with fake tiger parts, i.e. powders claiming to be ground tiger bone that are actually leftover cow or chicken bone. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/26 "2009-05-10T06:33:01Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What would happen if environmentalist groups just flooded the market with fake tiger parts, i.e. powders claiming to be ground tiger bone that are actually leftover cow or chicken bone. Or what if some genetic engineer managed to grow actual tiger parts in a vat, but only the ones that had a market value? ---
**Author:** ![Notassmartasithought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c0e974/32.png) [@Notassmartasithought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notassmartasithought)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/27 "2009-05-10T06:40:41Z")
> [@furt](#): > > I think the larger point Stossel was making with the piece was that such rational if counterintuitive, market-based solutions are often ruled out without discussion, and that environmentalist groups should at least give it a try. Well, if that was the point Stossel was trying to make, it might be useful if he made it with a case that proved his point! **Colibri** is right, it wasn’t the market that saved the buffalo (or the bison). So don’t lose your initial ideological bent, but don’t bend it when it doesn’t fit. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/28 "2009-05-10T06:51:22Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What would happen if environmentalist groups just flooded the market with fake tiger parts, i.e. powders claiming to be ground tiger bone that are actually leftover cow or chicken bone. Why only environmentalists? It’s an obvious profit opportunity for any crook wanting to make a quick buck. And since I doubt that the bogus medicine industry is very proficient at quality control I would guess it’s already happening to a huge extent. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/29 "2009-05-10T14:28:53Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Why only environmentalists? Well, generically, anybody who wants to save the tiger. Throw in Jack Lemmon’s kids, if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/30 "2009-05-10T14:44:32Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Just to satisfy my curiosity, does anyone know which parts of a poached tiger are used? And if tiger ranches were established and operated legally, which parts would find a market? Bones, hair, eyes, brain, internal organs, teeth, claws… the penis is used in a soup that is claimed to be an aphrodisiac. I think the brain is supposed to cure laziness and acne. And of course the traditional pelt/trophy hunting goes on. I read that a pound of ground tiger femur bone sells in Hong Kong for about US $1700.00 so I’m sure the market is rife with fraud. [Here](http://www.videosift.com/video/Tiger-hunting-in-India-Sometimes-the-Tiger-Wins)is a great solution to tiger poaching! I wish it could happen more often. (36 second video clip, no gore) ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/31 "2009-05-10T15:50:00Z")
Hmm I am quite skeptical of that video. The angle on that tiger’s jump doesn’t look right and I have never heard of a tiger attacking someone seated on an elephant like that. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/32 "2009-05-10T16:20:14Z")
Also, who was filming it? It looks like the person on the attacked elephant was the one being attacked. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/33 "2009-05-10T16:31:28Z")
The clip appears to be [real](http://www.livevideo.com/video/9E1B7450465A4966A03644B76F79F28B/tiger-attacks-man-on-elephant-.aspx). This one shows the aftermath. The mahout wasn’t that badly injured; he lost some fingers and apparently the tiger was chased away by the elephant. Wow that was one crazy tiger. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/34 "2009-05-10T16:32:53Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Hmm I am quite skeptical of that video. The angle on that tiger’s jump doesn’t look right and I have never heard of a tiger attacking someone seated on an elephant like that. I wasn’t vouching for its authenticity, simply relishing the ironic justice that it portrayed. However I did some research and it appears to be real footage of an incident that happened in Kaziranga National Park in 2004. The part that doesn’t fit with the ironic justice for poachers theme is that they weren’t poachers they were forest rangers. Apparently reports of a female tiger eating nearby ranchers cattle prompted the forest service to sweep the area on elephants planning to tranquilize and relocate the tiger. They fired a dart and missed, enraging the tigress and that is the point that the video picks up. The ranger apparently lost some fingers in the attack and the tiger was killed [edit: apparently the tiger was chased away by the elephant..one account I read stated the tiger was shot]. Story [here](http://www.articlesbase.com/nature-articles/tiger-attack-kaziranga-national-park-208201.html) along with a link to the full video (including gore). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/35 "2009-05-10T17:14:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Ibex and black rhinos find Texas a lovely place to live. Former VP candidate Lloyd Bentsen’s cousin Calvin kept some rhinos on his spread. I assume the coyotes took positions of submission whenever they thought they were within view. Having lousy vision, but good noses, I also assume the rhinos were not reassured. Regardless of the economics, Calvin needs a tiger. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/36 "2009-05-10T17:54:44Z")
Another difficulty of establishing a legal market for tiger parts (as there is with many other kinds of trade in endangered wildlife) is the problem of certification; that is, identifying which parts come from a legitimate (captive-bred) source, vs those that were acquired by poaching. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/37 "2009-05-10T20:10:02Z")
How fast do tigers reproduce ? Wouldn’t that be a problem too ? ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/38 "2009-05-10T21:54:43Z")
> [@Gymnopithys](#): > > How fast do tigers reproduce ? Wouldn’t that be a problem too ? About 1 to 3 cubs every 3 years and normally 1 or 2 don’t make it. In captivity those numbers can be improved. But each tiger needs about 20 to 40 lbs. of meat per day for life. That’s up to 14,000 lbs. of meat per year per tiger. There is a reason they spread out and live solitary lives; they need a LOT of food. In captivity they are prone to fighting among themselves if too many are packed into an area. And they would be very hazardous ‘livestock’ to manage in terms of feeding, vaccinations, births, illness, slaughtering, etc. Every tiny interaction would require tranquilizing them. And all this would be to feed a demand for the imaginary benefits of consuming these animals - remember we’re not talking about a legitimate reason to provide more tiger parts to the world, were talking about feeding a superstition. As I said people would just choose to imagine that only wild tigers had these magical, curative properties in order to keep the elements of mystique and danger attached to the tradition, and the value of wild tiger parts would remain high on the black market. Meanwhile the tiger ranches would be busy finding ways to provide 7 tons of meat per year per tiger and fending off the growing pile of workers comp. claims from mauled employees. All in all not the first idea I would invest in. If any do open though there will probably be huge opportunities in the frozen deer meat industry and possibly emergency medical supplies. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/39 "2009-05-10T22:43:19Z")
Tigers are already farmed in some parts of the world, notably Taiwan. They apparently manage just fine. And no, Tigers are not native to that island. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871/40 "2009-05-11T03:12:57Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > Tigers are already farmed in some parts of the world, notably Taiwan. They apparently manage just fine. Cite that they “manage just fine”? They certainly don’t seem to be undermining the market for poached tiger parts that is such a serious threat to the survival of wild tigers. According to Humane Society International, farmed tigers in China lead fairly [miserable lives](http://www.hsus.org/hsi/wildlife/wildlife_trade/tiger_conservation/2020_tigers.html) penned in concrete cages. So AFAICT, tiger farming is not in fact making life better for any tigers, either the farmed ones or the wild ones. It’s just exacerbating the tiger poaching problem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiger-farming-reasonable/495871.md?page=3)