Mother and daughter found dead after suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola
A mother and daughter, Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and Selah Reed, 20, were found dead after a suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola in British Columbia, Canada. The two were reported missing on 1 November after failing to return from a walk on the Snooka West Trail. Balcarras' remains were found Monday and Reed's on Tuesday during searches by the BC Conservation Officer Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Officials said it was unclear whether more than one bear was involved, and conservation officers are working to trap any bears responsible.
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Mother and daughter found dead in Canada after suspected grizzly bear attack
A woman and her 20-year-old daughter are believed to have been killed in an attack by one or more grizzly bears in British Columbia, Canada. Authorities said it remains unclear whether multiple animals were involved in the incident in the community of Bella Coola on the Pacific coast. The bodies of the two women were discovered during search operations on Monday and Tuesday, according to Jeff Tyre of the Conservation Officer Service, the provincial agency responsible for wildlife. Relatives had reported the women missing on Sunday. A nighttime curfew was imposed on the community. Tyre said that if the bear responsible for the attack is captured, it will be killed for public safety reasons. In the same region last November, a group of elementary school children and teachers was attacked by a grizzly, leaving one adult and three children seriously injured. The animal was not captured at the time.
Read sourceMother and daughter found dead after suspected grizzly bear attack in Canada
A mother and daughter were found dead in the Canadian wilderness near Bella Coola, British Columbia, after a suspected grizzly bear attack. Jennifer Balcarras, 48, an art therapist, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, went missing Saturday after setting out on the Snooka West Trail, minutes from their home. Family members raised concern when the two missed a scheduled online meet-up. Search and rescue teams found the remains of one person with evidence a bear may have been involved, and British Columbia Conservation Service officers were called in. One victim was located Monday afternoon and the other Tuesday, officials said. Conservation officers are working to locate and trap any bears that may have been involved and have warned people to stay away from the trail. The incident comes less than a year after a grizzly bear injured 11 people during a school field trip near the Bella Coola Trail.
Read sourceMother and daughter killed in suspected grizzly bear attack in British Columbia
A mother and daughter died after a suspected grizzly bear attack in Bella Coola, British Columbia, their family announced. Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and Selah Reed, 20, were reported missing on 1 November after failing to return from a short afternoon walk. The BC Conservation Officer Service said their remains were found in a trail area, with Balcarras located Monday and Reed Tuesday during searches by conservation officers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Inspector Jeff Tyre said it was not yet clear whether more than one bear was involved, and that any captured bear found responsible would be dispatched under provincial human-wildlife conflict guidelines to protect public safety. Balcarras' brother described the two as "two peas in a pod" who shared many hobbies. British Columbia estimates 10,000 to 13,000 grizzly bears live in the province, and the BC Wildlife Federation has said human-bear conflicts have risen since a 2017 ban on sport hunting.
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Mother and daughter killed in suspected grizzly bear attack in British Columbia
A mother and daughter, Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and Selah Reed, 20, were found dead after a suspected grizzly bear attack in Bella Coola, British Columbia, their family said. The women were reported missing on 1 November when they failed to return from a short afternoon walk. Balcarras' remains were found Monday and Reed's on Tuesday during searches by the BC Conservation Officer Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. BCCOS inspector Jeff Tyre said it was not yet clear whether more than one bear was involved, and that any captured bear found to have been involved would be dispatched under provincial human-wildlife conflict guidelines. Balcarras' brother Josh described the two as "two peas in a pod" who hiked together. British Columbia is home to an estimated 10,000 to 13,000 grizzly bears, listed as a species of special concern; the BC Wildlife Federation has said human-bear conflicts have risen since a 2017 ban on sport hunting grizzlies.
Read sourceMother and daughter killed in suspected grizzly bear attack in British Columbia
Conservation officers in British Columbia, Canada, confirmed that a mother and daughter were killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola. Jenny Balcarras, an art therapist, and her 20-year-old daughter Selah Reed were reported missing over the weekend; their vehicle was found at a trailhead near the Snooka West trail area, about 8km east of Bella Coola. Balcarras's remains were found first, and Reed was located a day later. Inspector Jeff Tyre of the BC Conservation Officer Service said officers are investigating the possibility that more than one grizzly was involved and urged the public to stay out of the area. The deaths have shaken the remote community, where a grizzly injured 11 people, including schoolchildren, in November 2025. Nuxalk Nation chief Samuel Schooner said a trapping effort was under way, and premier-designate Lorne Doerkson called the news heartbreaking.
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