A man walking his dog in Solomon Park in south Minneapolis on Sunday morning discovered a body in a wooded area. Police said the man’s dog led him about 40 yards into a small but dense woods, where he saw a body that was partly buried.

The park is just north of Hwy. 62 and west of Cedar Avenue S., south of Lake Nokomis and close to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Police, responding to the man’s 911 call at 10:16 a.m., established a crime scene perimeter. “We are not even in a position to identify the gender of the person,” said Sgt. Catherine Michal of the Minneapolis Police Department. Investigators could not tell the age or say how long the body had been there.

The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called to the scene to assist MPD homicide investigators. Lights and heaters were brought in to help investigators work after dark.

The body was partly covered, apparently by another person — with more than just leaves, debris and branches that could have fallen on it, Michal said.

The team, digging by hand, is “going to be taking it step by step,” Michal said. “We’re very grateful for the dog’s nose that alerted [the owner] to this. We want to publicly thank that individual, and kudos to his dog.”

The dead person’s identity will be released by the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office.