I’ve just written a couple of comments mentioning reporting bones so I think it’s worth a full post of its own…

Basically, if you can report something you find, please do!   
(I’m keeping this to wildlife, obviously pets and tagged livestock are a similar but different topic)

I’m based in the UK where we have numerous organisations for reporting all kinds of wildlife finds but most countries have some kind of reporting system, at least for unusual things like whales or other protected species. A quick Google with ‘report dead xxx’ and the country that you’re in should bring up the relevant contact. 

You might not think it’s that interesting or worth reporting but it’s immensely useful in so many ways…

\-Firstly it helps scientists and researchers collect data on animal populations: where they’re found, their preferred habitat, how many there are, whether they’re breeding, etc. This helps in learning about the species and goes towards shaping future conservation efforts. 

\-Depending on the remains they can examine the cause of death, assess whether there’s a pattern and figure out the risks and pressures on the species. Injuries in fresh carcasses or markings on bones can bring up evidence of things like illegal shooting, vehicle/boat collisions, predation or disease. They may collect it or take samples for testing where they can examine any pollutants, poisons, diseases or look into the DNA. Location is important too, so leaving the bones in situ or taking photos can help them work out if there’s anything in that area that might have contributed to the cause of death -things like power lines, heavy boat traffic or just that it’s away from its usual habitat.

\-If the remains are scientifically significant they’ll be kept for education or future research. The photo above is at London’s Natural History Museum archives -their collection works as a library where students and researchers can access thousands of specimens for study. On the day I took that photo there was a scientist who was taking DNA samples from whale baleen and ear bones from various decades to learn about historic population growth and, as science advances, we’re learning new ways to test bones and find out more about them.

\-All of this ultimately goes towards education, conservation and the protection of these animals in the future. The research and studies done on dead things helps lead to legislative changes and guidelines. So, reporting might seem like a trivial thing but it’s vital citizen science.

I could go on forever with case studies and examples but I’ll get off my soapbox now!  
I’ll just put some advice below instead…

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Tips on reporting:

\-If it’s an unusual or protected animal it’s likely that there’s a group that wants to know about it. Google will help you find the right contact. In the UK there’s even reporting systems for more common species such as badgers, hedgehogs, mink, etc. 

\-Take photos and note the location. What3Words or a grid ref is helpful.

\-They may want to collect the carcass or bones or send someone out to take samples. If you were hoping to keep it (assuming it’s legal to do so) just ask as they’ll often let you have the remains afterwards if they’re not of particular significance.

\-Don’t worry about getting into trouble if you were accidentally involved in the animal dying. For example, lots of whale and dolphin entanglement deaths go unreported because the fishermen are worried that they’ll be blamed. Same with vehicle collisions. Unless you’re chasing an otter with a shotgun, the folk you’re reporting to are just grateful to be given the info.

…Thanks again for reading this if you’ve got this far!

The importance of reporting!