Carrion is the decaying flesh of dead animals. When an animal dies in the wild and its body begins to rot, it becomes carrion. While this might sound unpleasant, carrion plays a crucial role in nature's cleanup system.

Many animals, called scavengers, have evolved specifically to eat carrion rather than hunt live prey. Vultures are perhaps the most famous carrion eaters: their powerful stomach acid can safely digest meat that would make other animals sick. Ravens, hyenas, and many types of beetles also feed on carrion. Even the enormous Komodo dragon, though capable of hunting, often prefers to eat carrion when it finds it.

These scavengers perform an important service by removing dead animals that would otherwise spread disease. Without carrion eaters, dead creatures would pile up and create serious health problems for living animals. Scientists who study animal behavior sometimes use carrion to attract and observe scavengers, and forensic scientists have even studied how quickly carrion decomposes to help solve mysteries about how long a body has been in a particular place. Nature wastes nothing: what seems like the end for one animal becomes dinner for another.