How long do dead animals last?

[Abbeel]

So, I was wondering how long animal corpses last before despawning, if they do at all.

I was thinking about filling my entire settlement with dead beavers to screw with my friend who I share the settlement with, but didn't want to waste a whole bunch of beavers if they despawn before he logs in. XD

[Sevenless]

Until the map unloads if left outside (15 minutes of no one being within 3 minimaps range as a rough guess).

On sleds, in leantos or in houses they last forever atm.

[Wournos]

I have a related question.
Can animals, like deer and bears, drop dead for not apparent reason?

The reason I ask is because I had a bear prancing about near my camp while I was developing my land. After a while I noticed the minimap icon had stopped moving so I figured the bear had gotten stuck or something. I think I worked for at least 30 minutes (felt like it anyway) before I checked the bear from a distance. It was dead with the head "stuck" in a hill. During all of this time I haven't seen any player in my area. I haven't even heard fight sounds.

[Rinaru]

I know some animals would fight like I had a time where plenty of beavers were near my camp so I would lead them toward a bear and it would kill them all.

(Maybe that is what happened for you)

[ameba]

I have a related question.
Can animals, like deer and bears, drop dead for not apparent reason?

The reason I ask is because I had a bear prancing about near my camp while I was developing my land. After a while I noticed the minimap icon had stopped moving so I figured the bear had gotten stuck or something. I think I worked for at least 30 minutes (felt like it anyway) before I checked the bear from a distance. It was dead with the head "stuck" in a hill. During all of this time I haven't seen any player in my area. I haven't even heard fight sounds.

Well, bears have a certain attack that instills Fear debuff, which drains BB (and often aggroes other animals nearby). Therefore, it could be possible, if animals have biles in a similar manner as players do. Rattlesnakes also have Poison debuff that drains phlegm.
Dunno
But to just drop dead due to old age or unknown disease? I highly doubt that.

Maybe there was a deer nearby whom you didn't notice on your minimap? I've witnessed many times the horrors those bear-slayers can do. Even seen once a deer that absorbed the very soul of a bear. Bearahkiin, the other deer called him, or something like that.

[Wournos]

I have a related question.
Can animals, like deer and bears, drop dead for not apparent reason?

The reason I ask is because I had a bear prancing about near my camp while I was developing my land. After a while I noticed the minimap icon had stopped moving so I figured the bear had gotten stuck or something. I think I worked for at least 30 minutes (felt like it anyway) before I checked the bear from a distance. It was dead with the head "stuck" in a hill. During all of this time I haven't seen any player in my area. I haven't even heard fight sounds.

Well, bears have a certain attack that instills Fear debuff, which drains BB (and often aggroes other animals nearby). Therefore, it could be possible, if animals have biles in a similar manner as players do. Rattlesnakes also have Poison debuff that drains phlegm.
Dunno
But to just drop dead due to old age or unknown disease? I highly doubt that.

Maybe there was a deer nearby whom you didn't notice on your minimap? I've witnessed many times the horrors those bear-slayers can do. Even seen once a deer that absorbed the very soul of a bear. Bearahkiin, the other deer called him, or something like that.

I guess this could be true. It was a nice gift though. Tons of meat, sinew, a hide and a brain.