A skull found in a national park may belong to a child and appears to have been deliberately placed.
Police are investigating after a hiker made the gruesome discovery about 10 meters from a track in Springbrook National Park on the Gold Coast on Friday morning.
Police say the skull is small and may belong to a child or a person of thin build, and it has been declared a crime scene.
“Initial suggestions are that the skull has been placed there,” Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said on Monday, adding that further examinations, including DNA and carbon dating, could take months.
Forensic pathologists and the Queensland Police Service bone expert are examining the skull.
There is no evidence of a recent death or criminal act in the area.
‘The skull appears to have been in that condition for a long time… it was neither submerged nor buried; “He was lying on the ground,” Chief Superintendent Hanlon said.
An investigation has been launched into the origin of a human skull that was found by a hiker in Springbook Nation Park (pictured) on Friday morning.
Police believe the skull may belong to a child or a lightly built person, but revealed there is no evidence to suggest it was a recent death or the result of foul play.
Springbrook National Park is a popular tourist destination known for its lush rainforest and scenic hiking trails.
Police are investigating how the skull arrived at the park, and investigators are exploring possibilities ranging from it being a lost museum artifact to a hoax.
“There are many questions we need answers to and that is why our investigation is ongoing,” Chief Superintendent Hanlon said.
No other bones or evidence of criminal activity have been found in the area after an extensive search involving around 100 State Emergency Service volunteers.