Human skeletal remains found in wetlands at bird refuge, Utah officials say

Skeletal remains found in wetlands at a bird refuge have been identified as human, Utah sheriff’s officials reported.

The remains were found in a remote area of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Willard Bay at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, March 30, the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Deputies and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the remains were human, the sheriff’s office said.

The Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office will try to identify the remains, deputies said.

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is about a 60-mile drive northwest of Salt Lake City.

The refuge covers about 80,000 acres of the northeast arm of the Great Salt Lake, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More than 210 species of birds visit the refuge.

This story was originally published March 31, 2024 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Human skeletal remains found in wetlands at bird refuge, Utah officials say."