Hallmarks of Death by animal attack?

Question

Hi there
I am wondering what are the physiological signs of an animal attack, namely wolf/cougar/bear (woodland predators). I'm interested in how a ranger or cop would determine a person died of an animal attack if the body was found in the woods after a few days. I'm also interested in how to tell the difference from an attack that kills and scavenger behavior after the deed. Also how would you distinguish between a knife or other sharp weapon attack and an animal attack?

I'm trying to write a story where something like this figures into the plot, so any answers or pointing me to the right reference material would be great!

Thanks, experts!

Answer 1

you can look at the bones to see if the victim was attacked by a hum nor an animal by the teeth marks left behind on the bone. also by the depth of the teeth marks this will tell you if it was a large animal or a small one. you can rent movies with this scenario in it I hope you find what you are looking for . from a fellow writer

Answer 2

There are several forensic clues that could be used to determine animal attack mortality.

Animal bites tend to be fairly ragged and the wounds more like tears than something like, say, a knife would leave. There would also be claw marks, and damage from feeding.

Scavenging from a dead body rather than a direct kill could be determined by blood stains or lack thereof. After someone is dead, their blood doesn't pump any more, so an animal ripping open a large wound wouldn't create a spray of blood. The same could not be said if the wound was ripped out of a still living victim.

Where the wounds are could also be an indication of cause of death. If the victim had their hands and face chewed off, but no other signs of animal attack, it would be unlikely that they were killed by the animal. However, if the person's throat were torn out, or there were teeth punctures through the back of the skull - these could indicate that it was a critter what done him in.

Good luck with your story!

Answer 3

In general, animals and people killed by predators will exhibit subcutaneous bruising and puncture wounds. There may be evidence of a struggle, such as trampled and bloody vegetation. Individual species of predators often follow a general pattern of killing prey that helps to identify the culprit. However, some individuals within a species vary in the method of attack and feeding behavior. These behaviors may overlap between individuals of different species; thus other evidence, such as tracks and feces in the area of the body or carcass, are often essential to correctly identify the predator responsible.
A medical examiner would be able to identify the difference between knife wounds (cuts or stabs) and animal wounds (bite marks, tissue tears).