What to do When the Carcass Depository Box is Closed

By Andrew Peerless in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 11, 2005 2:44PM

Chicagoist has told you again and again and again and again about dead zoo animals, but never have we discussed what happens to the poor beasts' bodies once their souls head toward the great, fluffy pastures in the sky.

Well, wouldn't you know it, the generous little buggers actually donate their bodies to science (errr... um, their zoos donate their bodies for them). When the Brookfield Zoo lost Adrienne - its 20 year old Amur tiger - this week, zoo officials had her stripey ol' bones shipped right over the Field Museum to undergo scientific study. Natural history museums have traditionally relied on donations from hunters for their research, so donations of endangered, wild and exotic species (like tigers) is like a Chrismukah smorgasbord for Field Museum researchers. Dig in, folks!

So, what exactly does this scientific study involve? Well, it frankly sounds like a scene straight outta one of those ancient-Egypt-meets-Six Feet Under-meets-mind-of-warped-twelve-year-old stories we love so dearly. You know, skins hanging in walk-in-refrigirators, drawers brimming with bones, rows of jars filled with organs... general awesomeness of this nature.

One sad note, though, for families and friends of dearly departed elephants: their gigantic bodies are too large to transport, and are generally dismembered and cremated.

Elephant friends, we'd pour a forty on your graves if we could...