Major organ loss from post-mortem animal predation: Issues arising from emptied body cavities

The feeding of animals on bodies after death - so-called post-mortem animal predation - may complicate autopsy interpretations when there has been removal of significant amounts of skin and tissues. An extreme situation which sometimes arises is the complete evisceration and/or consumption of all major cavity organs. Search of autopsy files at Forensic Science South Australia was undertaken for examples of this phenomenon. Although such a finding at autopsy may suggest the actions of larger animals such as dogs or sharks, it may also occur when groups of smaller animals, such as cats, act in concert. Complete loss of organs may also occur if significant insect activity accompanies decomposition. Empty body cavities may therefore result from of a wide variety of animal activities involving a range of species in quite different environments. A significant problem once organs have been removed or consumed is in identifying or excluding natural diseases or injuries that may have played a role in the lethal episode.