Sept. 22, 2017 - How do you spawn a flowing river of thousands of maggots? 6,000 pounds of rotting pig carcasses. Scientists studying the ecological consequences of mass mortality events planted the pig bodies in a forest. These events, when large numbers of animals die in the same area, are rare but are increasing in frequency due to climate change. Vultures, maggots, flies, hornets, and armadillos were all attracted in large numbers to the site. In addition to studying the role scavengers play, researchers are looking at how microbes in the soil are changed by mass die-offs.