RCMP say remains found on a popular trail near the municipality of Redwood Meadows on Thursday are human.
The bones were reported to police at around 12:30 p.m. after being discovered by a passerby in a remote location south of the intersection of Highway 22 and Highway 8.
“I just came across a large bone… initially I thought it was a deer bone,” said Amber, who declined to provide her last name. “I looked down and realized it was human remains.
“There was definitely a hand attached to an arm… and the hand was intact.”
The bones were taken to the medical examiner’s office to examine.
RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters said it’s too soon to say if the remains are that of a male or female. Investigators aren’t sure how long the remains had been there.
“It’s too soon to determine if there’s foul play involved,” he said. “It’s not a normal situation, of course, to find bones outside in an area like this, so that’s why we’re conducting this investigation.”
“I can’t speculate at this point [if it’s a] homicide or to the cause of death.”
Peters said he wasn’t sure how many bones were found, but confirmed a skull wasn’t among the remains.
RCMP said it appears there has been animal activity in the area, which means the remains could have been moved from their original location.
Officers searched an area along Highway 22 on Friday in an effort to uncover more evidence.
Investigators have asked members of the public to stay away from the area police investigate, saying it may impact traffic on Highway 22.
RCMP said they may have to return to the area on Saturday.
“I’ll be doing better when I have more closure on why that was there and what they found,” Amber said.
The community of Redwood Meadows is located about 25 kilometres west of Calgary.
With files from Jenna Freeman