Remains eaten by a bear - October 12 Edition

Angie Mindus

Cariboo Advisor

It is highly unlikely that officials will ever be able to determine exactly how an old retired trapper and guide outfitter in the Black Creek Valley died recently, after his body was discovered Saturday mostly eaten by what was believed to be a bear.

The remains of Bill Zimmer, an elderly man living a remote lifestyle in the Black Creek Valley, were found in his apple orchard Saturday afternoon outside his home by someone who stopped in to check on him.

A portion of the man’s skull and the rifle he always carried with him were apparently all that remained of Zimmer.

Williams Lake RCMP were called to the scene and the B.C. Coroner’s Service has taken over the investigation. The Coroner’s Service did not return calls by press time.

Zimmer, known as being eccentric, lived approximately 23 kilometres down the Black Creek Road (about a half hours drive east of Horsefly) in a modest home alone, with a few horses and a large garden which sustained him throughout the winter months.

The investigation will attempt to determine whether Zimmer died of natural causes or due to a bear attack.