DNA testing has linked four grizzly bears to the fatal attack on a mother and daughter near Bella Coola, British Columbia. Wildlife officers captured and killed the animals, officials said Tuesday.
The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said forensic evidence connected an adult female and her three offspring to the deaths of Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and Selah Reed, 20. The bears were killed over the weekend under provincial guidelines for responding to conflicts between people and wildlife.
Investigators believe the attack likely involved predatory behavior, though they have not described how it happened. More than a dozen conservation officers helped recover the victims, gather evidence and search for the bears in challenging terrain and weather.
“This was a heartbreaking event for the families, the Nuxalk Nation and the Bella Coola community,” Insp. Jeff Tyre said at a briefing. He said he hoped the response and investigation’s findings would bring some measure of closure.
Balcarras, an art therapist, and Reed had gone for a walk on the Snooka West Trail near their home and did not return. Relatives contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Balcarras missed a planned online meeting. Police found her vehicle at the trailhead, then recovered Balcarras’ body on Nov. 2 and Reed’s the following day.
Officials also confirmed that the four bears were not involved in a separate 2025 attack near Bella Coola, when 11 people, including students and teachers, were injured. The investigation into the deaths is complete, but further analysis will review the response and the circumstances of the attack.
The conservation service said fatal grizzly attacks involving predatory behavior are uncommon. It advised people in bear country to keep pets leashed, travel in groups and learn ways to lower the risk of encountering wildlife.
