In my vain attempt to add content, meaningful or otherwise, I set out to document the distribution of animals in various packages of animal crackers, most notably Austin Quality® Zoo Animal Crackers (since that is what is stocked in our break room vending machines). I purchased and documented one bag a week for an entire year.

Below is the breakdown by week of each distribution.
Or, if you wish to see the final statistics, click here --> Final 2001 ACD Statistics.

Oh, please take the time to read the disclaimer before you e-mail.

Because of the ambiguous identity of some of the animals, I took a leap of faith and assumed that since these were sold as ZOO animals, the ones that looked like sheep were actually mountain goats, and the ones that looked like horses were actually zebras - although it doesn't look like any attempt was made to define any type of stripes.

* - A wound is defined as a break only. All pieces are still present with the exception of the minor crumbs lost in the wounding. No effort is currently being made to determine or prevent the cause, including if they were wounded because of rapid deceleration trauma, i.e. the drop to the bottom of the vending machine; or by the action or inaction of other crackers, including pursuit and capture with intent to consume.

** - Not counting crumbs and unidentifiable limbs.

Disclaimer:

Crackers are removed from the container by inverting it at between a 30-90 degree angle so the animals may leave the container in approximately the same condition as they were acquired. Because of the inanimacy of these animals (probably due to their prolonged confinement) and previous co-habitation, no effort is currently made to separate the herbivores from the carnivores from the omnivores. In accordance with the law of the jungle, all dead/wounded animals are dispatched/consumed as soon as the accounting is completed, so as not to prolong extended suffering and to retard spoilage. Remaining animals are chosen by a double blind-draw process wherein they are put back into their container at random; and again, chosen at random for removal from their co-habited container.