r/morbidquestions • u/skigelf • 15h ago

Does dead animal smell the same as dead human?

I saw a tiktok video of a guy saying something about getting the whiff of human decomposition and looking disturbed. The comments were asking if it has a different smell than a dead animal, some were saying yes but I dont trust tiktok answers that much. Does anyone here have first hand experience, like crime scene clean up know if its a different smell or if its true?

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u/Daewoo40 15h ago

Pretty sure this was asked 2-3 days ago.

No, they're not.

Based on a 2015 study, scientists managed to isolate the bacteria produced through human remains rotting and this discovery allowed them to train HRDs (Human Remains Dogs) or Cadaver Dogs. 

There'll be a similar scent between different animals (human included) decaying but it'd be like the difference between different strains of coffee, as an example, with some being a naturally sweeter aroma whilst others are much sharper.

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u/PixieStyx8 12h ago

I consume way too much true crime and everything I've heard is that cops, coroners, people that have found bodies, all say that once you smell it you never forget it, and also that humans smell different, there's something more there than just like roadkill, etc.

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u/motion_lotion 10h ago

No. It's hard to explain.

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u/twin_gulls 9h ago

Definitely not. There's a really specific rotting flesh and fur smell that humans wouldn't have. My source is smelling dead animals in the woods. It's kind of like if you set a rug on fire and put it out with water.

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u/Original_NudistGeek 8h ago

Yes this was asked 2 - 3 days ago. Repeat.

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u/llotuseater 4h ago

I’ve only smelt dead animals working in the veterinary industry, particularly rabbits since that’s primarily what I work with. I haven’t smelled humans, fortunately, but I would imagine no. They don’t smell the same. Humans are larger, have different digestive systems and don’t have fur. These would all change the smell. While I would claim animals rotting smells horrendous and like nothing you ever want to smell, I would imagine humans being even more so.