Four grizzly bears killed after DNA links them to fatal attack on mother and daughter

Explainer

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says four grizzly bears captured near Bella Coola have been killed after DNA tests confirmed they were responsible for a deadly attack on a mother and daughter earlier this month. Insp. Jeff Tyre said the bears, an adult female and her three yearling cubs, were all dispatched to protect the public. The attack that killed Jenny Balcarras and Selah Reed likely involved predatory behaviour, which Tyre described as very rare. The investigation into the attack has now concluded and all trapping equipment used in the response has been removed. "Our investigation also found that this attack likely involved predatory behaviour, which I can tell you is very rare," Tyre told an online briefing. He added that bears involved in fatal attacks on people "cannot be rehabilitated or relocated." "This type of behaviour represents an extreme risk to the public, and such bears are dispatched to protect the public and prevent similar attacks in the future," Tyre said.

Who were the victims?

Jenny Balcarras, 48, and her 20-year-old daughter, Selah Reed, were reported missing after they went for a hike on the Snooka West Trail on Oct. 31. Balcarras's remains were found on Nov. 2, and Reed's body was discovered about 150 metres away the following day. Their bodies were found in an area of trails outside the northern B.C. community, which is about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver. Balcarras worked as an art therapist in the community and loved painting, playing guitar and the outdoors. Reed was an education assistant, described as a gentle soul who loved ballet, art and hiking.

READ MORE: Bella Coola grieves second fatal bear attack as officials seek link to 2025 mauling

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Family members described them as inseparable. "They were two peas in a pod. When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her," said Josh Balcarras, Jennifer's brother. "I think they got along really, really well," he said, speaking following their deaths.

How did officials confirm the bears' involvement?

Forensic DNA testing conclusively linked the four captured grizzlies to the attack. More than a dozen conservation officers worked to track down the animals, often in difficult terrain and weather conditions. Tyre said the DNA results also definitively showed these bears were not involved in a separate, earlier attack in the same area. The bear responsible for a 2025 mauling of a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers, which left an adult and three children badly injured, was never found. The Conservation Officer Service said further analysis will examine the response and the circumstances that led to the fatal event. "We hope the efforts of everyone who responded, as well as these findings, bring some measure of closure," Tyre said.

How is the community responding?

The Nuxalk Nation and the Bella Coola community are still recovering from the 2025 attack. Elected Chief Councillor Tlhmtimut Samuel Schooner said the recent event has been deeply re-triggering for community members. "This attack has been deeply re-triggering for our community members as we continue to recover from last year’s attack," Schooner told the briefing. He called the event "deeply, deeply unsettling."

"Our community is rightly still deeply affected and will be for generations," Schooner said. He said the investigation into the recent attack "was carried out with the utmost care and respect." Community supports remain in place, including escorts for children going to school and offers of rides for anyone who needs to get around. A voluntary curfew had been imposed in the area where the remains were found. Schooner said these supports will remain until the community feels the time is right to remove them. "Our thoughts remain with the victims’ family," he said. Nosy Mag reported earlier this month that the community was grieving a second fatal bear attack just days before the anniversary of the 2025 mauling.

What happens next?

The Conservation Officer Service says it remains committed to working with the Nuxalk Nation and the Bella Coola community to help prevent future bear conflicts. The service stated that the investigation into the attack has concluded. Tyre emphasized the rarity of predatory behaviour in such attacks. "That is to say, we don't know how it started, but we know how it ended," he said.

With files from The Canadian Press, CityNews and CBC News