The decomposition of elephant carcases in the Tsavo (East) National Park, Kenya

Abstract

The seral phases of decay for carcases of the African elephant are described in detail. Rapid decomposition of soft tissue and skin is reported but the breakdown and/or incorporation of bone into the lithosphere is greatly delayed. In the absence of vertebrate scavengers, dipterous larvae consume up to 5 per cent of the soft tissues, the remainder being utilized by microorganisms. The importance of the calcium immobilized in large mammal bones in processes of mineral cycling is discussed.