Should we allow are bodies to be picked clean by birds?

Question

I believe tbat some cultures lay their dead out to be picked clean by vultures....could this be a more ecological method for us to adopt?

Thanks for pointing the grammatical error out Maureen...thank god nobody noticed tbat!

I actually saw an old 'Wickers World' episode where this was actually happening, in China I think...the people living in the apartments near by often found body parts on their balconies and window ledges.

The bones are dissolved in a well of acid.

Answer 1

I would prefer not to have that done. But if that is what they want to do then more power to them. Just leave me out of it.

Answer 2

In theory great idea, a way of naturally recycling. However in practice you would have to take into account:
- the numbers that die daily
- the space to allow the feeding to happen
- the diseases that could be spread from the rotting flesh (as -
there would be so many bodies the birds wouldn't have to eat
them all)
- smells from the rotting flesh
- every type of maggot, fly and insect you care to name
- a possible problem with bird infestation (some of which have v
very toxic droppings that cause sickness in humans)
- and finally the problem of what to do with the bones, it might not
be the most attractive idea to try and sell to people.

Answer 3

Erm...no. I don't think it would do the vultures much good either - you'd need thousands to keep up with the rotting corpses. And if you just left the corpse there out in the open, it would be the breeding ground for maggots and diseases, and the smell alone would be terrible.

And you should have used 'our' not 'are' in the phrasing of the question. Luckily we ould guess what you actually meant.

Answer 4

better than wasting all that ground for burying, all the gasoline for cremating, plus ashes are litter, caskets are too. And the vultures would be happy, plus what a show! Naw, in all seriousness, that does sound like a reasonable idea, but I doubt any majority of people any time soon would be willing to adopt it, simply because of the grousumeness of the act. Peace

Answer 5

Once you are dead, the body doesn`t have a meaning for this life anymore, why should you care ? If you think it would be better for it to be picked by birds, go ahead !
But don`t put the blame on others, if after that you can`t stand the sight of it !

Answer 6

Only if you die in mountainous Tibet.

Bodies of deseased are cut up to smaller pieces for vultures & co to pick clean. It's practical because high up in them rocky mountains, it's really difficult to dig graves and wood is scarce and precious commodity which are used for heating and cooking for the living.

Besides Buddhists believe in reincarnation so no worries about the corpses - their souls have departed. Very wise practise wouldn't you agree?

Now go and live in Tibet.

Answer 7

NO.
What cultures? None that have any great moment in the world.

In case you had not noticed there are not many carrion eaters about. Not very attractive creatures but they do a necessary job in the wild.

Answer 8

they still do this in the mountainous areas of peru, temple of the birds i think, because the ground is too hard to dig.
Could be fun though, imagine being eaten by a seagull then pooped onto someones head you didn't like.

Answer 9

No the human body is a creation of God, and is therefore sacred, unless you have no religion, then anything goes.

Answer 10

I am all for that , at least it would reduce the funeral costs and feed the birds at the same time !