Accredited zoos are expected to necropsy every deceased animal under Standard 2.5.1[1]. Our readers tell us how often that happens in practice, along with how they keep records, move heavy animals and look after grieving staff.
Before you read the numbers
Every figure on the board below is a live count of reader votes. Each person can vote once per poll, answers are anonymous, and totals change as new votes come in. A poll with a handful of votes can swing a long way in a day, so check the vote count before reading much into a percentage.
These aren't scientific surveys. Readers choose to vote, so the results lean toward whoever visits most: perhaps rehabilitators one month and aquarium staff the next. We show them because peer experience is useful, not because they prove anything. For decisions, pair them with the published research cited below and on our research page.
We also don't edit or weight the numbers. What you see is the raw count for each option. If a poll looks lopsided, the likeliest explanation is who happened to answer, not a trend across the whole field.
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Results in context
The necropsy poll has a clear benchmark. Accredited institutions are expected to examine every deceased animal, so answers of 'every time' are what the standard implies. Answers of 'rarely' tell a different story, usually from sanctuaries, private keepers and rehab centers without easy access to a pathologist.
Pathology on exotic species is a real workload where it's available. At one large veterinary school, exotic animals made up 20.5%[2] of necropsy cases over 15 years. If your own answer was 'rarely', our pre-planning guide covers how to arrange a lab relationship before you need one.
After a death in your collection, how often is there a necropsy before aftercare?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Results in context
The arrangement poll asks whether institutions have a standing agreement or call around each time. There's no published figure for zoos, but consumer research shows how often people simply accept the first option: in the UK, 89%[3] of pet owners who bought a cremation never compared providers.
The UK figures come from the Competition and Markets Authority's provisional findings on vet services. By our estimate, only about 6% of all bereaved UK pet owners compare cremation providers before buying[4], so a zoo that gets two written quotes is already doing more than most buyers. Our guide to questions institutions should ask vendors makes that comparison quicker.
Institutions have more reason to compare, because a single megafauna case can cost more than a year of small-animal cremations. If the results suggest many readers call around at the last minute, that's a prompt to use the vendor questions for institutions and set terms early.
How does your organization arrange aftercare today?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Results in context
No large study measures keeper grief directly, so the closest evidence comes from pet owners. In a big UK survey, 66.9%[5] of bereaved owners were surprised by how intense their grief was, and 77.4%[6] believed employers underestimate the impact of pet loss. Keepers who spend eight hours a day with an animal have every reason to feel it at least as strongly.
If the staff poll shows many readers answering 'nothing formal', it's worth raising with management. Small gestures help: a gathering, a say in the memorial, a quiet day. Our page on grief after losing a zoo or wildlife animal has ideas for teams.
When a long-time animal dies, what support do the keepers get?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Results in context
The biosecurity poll asks which disease most shapes your aftercare decisions. For bird collections and rehabilitators, the published data explain why avian influenza tends to come up: US wild bird surveillance recorded 15,542 detections[7] of H5 avian influenza between late 2021 and 2025, many of them in sick or dead birds, exactly the animals that reach rehab centers.
The full USDA APHIS avian influenza epidemiology report gives the detail behind those counts. By our calculation, each infected premises averaged about 102,814 affected birds[8], which is why outbreak planning is driven by disposal capacity rather than by cremation. Rules for bird deaths during an outbreak vary by state, which our locations pages summarize.
Answers naming chronic wasting disease are more regional, and they matter mostly to parks and rehabilitators holding deer and elk. If your answer was 'nothing specific', that may simply reflect your collection. Either way, the rule of thumb holds: when disease is possible, the state veterinarian decides the route. The services page explains which routes suit infectious cases.
Which disease concern most shapes your aftercare decisions right now?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Using the results
Among US dog and cat owners in one survey, aftercare decisions for past pets split 68% cremation; 32% burial[9], and our general polls let you see how institutional readers compare. When you're ready to act on what you've read, the cost calculator gives a first range and our contact form gets you real options.
Reader polls
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
How do you keep chain-of-custody records for remains?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
How should a zoo mark the death of an animal visitors loved?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Did you take time off work after your pet died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Because they're live. Every new vote updates the totals, so a poll with few votes can move a lot in a short time. As more readers answer, the numbers usually settle. Check the total vote count shown with each poll before drawing any conclusion from it.
It's possible, which is one reason we don't treat results as research. Each browser can vote once per poll, but several staff at one zoo could all vote the same way. That's genuine experience, but it means results reflect who is reading, not the whole field.
We may mention what a poll has shown in general terms on other pages, always described as a live reader poll and never as a finding. We don't sell or share individual votes, which aren't linked to names or institutions in the first place.
Official sources such as accreditation standards and published studies describe what's required or what a sample showed. Our polls show what readers say they do. When the two differ, the standard is the rule to follow, and the poll is a sign that practice varies.
Not on the numbers alone. Use a result as a reason to look at your own practice, then check the relevant standard, your state rules and your veterinarian's advice. If a poll shows peers using a route you hadn't considered, such as lab disposal or a standing contract, that's worth a conversation, not an automatic change.
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.
