Conservation officers are on the hunt for a black bear that fed on a human corpse it pulled from a car in a rural area outside of Kamloops, B.C.
A group of hunters discovered the deceased's abandoned 1986 Volkswagen Jetta along a logging road Wednesday night and called police, according to RCMP Staff Sgt. Grant Learned. While they waited for officers to show up, the men discovered a dismembered and partially eaten body covered with leaves and dirt in some bushes about 120 metres away from the vehicle.
The hunters told police they had seen a bear before they happened upon the scene and when Mounties arrived, they could hear an animal grunting and snorting in the area where the body was lying.
"You don't want to interrupt a bear that's feeding on its food cache," Learned said. "They backed off and they waited ‘til the bear moved along."
By the time the officers were able to retrieve the body, the bear had moved it and covered it up again.
When police examined the car, they discovered that the driver's side window was fully down and there were numerous muddy paw prints and scratches on the left side of the vehicle. The driver's side mirror had been bent forward and the moulding around the window was ripped off.
"Obviously, it was some clear indicators of animal activity," Learned said.
Investigators believe the man had been dead for some time before the bear found him. Learned said there is no suggestion he met with foul play, and the remains have been returned to Kamloops for a forensic examination to determine identity and cause of death.
Investigators believe the dead man was the vehicle's registered owner, who was last seen on May 23. When police searched the car, they found hard drugs and drug paraphernalia, as well as liquor and a bag containing personal items.
Conservation officers have now been instructed to track the bear and kill it in order to protect the public.
