An African elephant can weigh up to seven tons and can live for 70 years. When one of these behemoths dies, it is mourned. Worn paths radiating like the spokes of a wheel often surround a dead elephant, created by other pachyderms traveling to visit the remains over the course of days, weeks, or even years.

But in a circle of life writ extra-large, the natural death of an elephant also means survival for many others, including some currently threatened and endangered species. A horde of hungry animals quickly descends to reduce the carcass to bones, gulping down millions of calories in just a few days…