The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) has killed four grizzly bears following a fatal attack on a mother and daughter in the Bella Coola area of British Columbia. Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, died earlier this month during an afternoon walk on a trail.
BCCOS Inspector Jeff Tyre stated on Tuesday that forensic testing and evidence from an investigation conclusively linked the attack to a sow and her three cubs. The four bears were destroyed "in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines" to ensure public safety. Tyre noted that the attack "likely involved predatory behaviour," which he described as "very rare."
The investigation was conducted over the past week by more than a dozen conservation officers who faced "difficult terrain and weather." DNA testing also confirmed that the four bears were not the same animals involved in a 2025 attack on a school group in the Bella Coola area, which left 11 people injured.
Josh Balcarras, the brother of Jennifer Balcarras, told CBC that the two women were "two peas in a pod" who "got along really, really well" and shared many hobbies. He noted that "When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her."
Samuel Schooner, Elected Chief of the Nuxalk Nation, issued a statement confirming that BCCOS members captured and euthanized the bears. Schooner thanked the service for their work to resolve the incident, noting that the attack has been "deeply re-triggering" for community members who are still recovering from the previous year's attack.
