Livestock and other animal carcasses left above ground can be a health, biosecurity, and environmental risk. Biosecurity Tasmania recommends that animal carcasses are buried:
Animal carcasses must be managed in a hygienic way. These requirements apply to livestock producers (for small numbers of livestock or individual animals), hunters, and in the case of larger mortality events on farms which include emergencies like:
Disposal guidelines
It is important that the burial of animal carcasses be undertaken:
in a reasonable timeframe after discovery of the carcass
in a manner that prevents access by dogs and other animals
to prevent the transmission of a number of animal diseases such as
Hydatids,
Sarcocystis, and
Botulism
An information sheet on pit and trench burial provides more details on the construction of burial pits and trenches:
Pit and Trench Burial Fact Sheet for disposal of livestock and other animals crcasses (PDF 132Kb)
Site selection
Give careful consideration to the location of the burial pits to prevent any contamination of surface or ground waters and subsequent risk to human and animal health and to the environment.
Ideal sites for carcass burial will have the following characteristics:
Location should comply with the following buffer distances:
Other things to consider:
Surface drainage should be directed away from the pit location by setting up diversion drains up slope of the pit location.
Stock must not have access to the site.
Carcass burial must only occur with consent of the landowner. Records should be kept by the landowner of all burial pit locations and the quantity of material that has been buried at each location.
Filling and closing disposal pits
Advice for filling and closing disposal pits:
Sawdust or straw can be added to the bottom of pits to absorb leachate (liquid waste) produced by carcasses and increase the rate of decomposition.
It is not recommended that lime be added to pits as this will reduce the decomposition rate of the carcasses.
Slash or puncture carcass body cavities prior to placing in the pit (it is unsafe to enter pits containing carcass material). Gas build-up in carcasses can greatly increase the carcass volume and may cause the buried material or leachate to rise above the pit surface.
When full the pit must be covered with a minimum of 2m depth of soil, preferably clay. The soil should be mounded over the pit to prevent rain collecting in the pit. The pit cover will subside as the carcasses break down.
Unhygienic management of an animal carcass
The unhygienic management of an animal carcass is illegal, and is considered a prohibited dealing under
Section 17 and
Section 76 of the
Biosecurity Act 2019, and
Regulation 12 of the Biosecurity Regulations 2022.
The unhygienic management of an animal carcass includes:
allowing “the carcass, or part of the carcass, to remain exposed to the environment or other animals on the premises without being buried, incinerated or otherwise disposed of in a suitably hygienic manner”
failing to ensure that “the carcass is buried, incinerated or otherwise disposed of in a suitably hygienic manner as soon as reasonably practicable after he or she discovers or becomes aware of the presence of the carcass on the premises”
Carcass disposal for game hunting
It is important for hunters to ensure they meet the game hunting requirements and collection of species of game they shoot. This must be carried out to ensure that hunters can:
More information
Approval from Local Government (Council) and/or Tasmanian EPA may be required prior to carcass disposal.Contact your local council for any requirements on carcass disposal specific to your area.