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Four grizzly bears killed in Canada after fatal attack on mother and daughter

Dan Woodland
Getty Images A pale brown grizzly bear walks through deep Sedge grass at Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, CanadaGetty Images
Between 10,000 and 13,000 grizzly bears are estimated to live in British Columbia (file image)

Four grizzly bears have been killed in connection with a fatal attack on a mother and daughter in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, died earlier this month after going on an afternoon walk in a trail area in Bella Coola.

The British Columbia Conservation Office Service (BCCOS) launched an investigation into their deaths and forensic testing has since confirmed a sow and her three cubs were responsible for the attack.

All four were destroyed "in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines" to protect the public, BCCOS Inspector Jeff Tyre said in an update on Tuesday.

"Evidence from the investigation as well as animal DNA was analysed and conclusively linked to a sow and its three offspring," he added.

The attack "likely involved predatory behaviour", which Tyre said was "very rare".

He added that more than a dozen conservation officers took part in the investigation over the past week, amid "difficult terrain and weather".

Balcarras and Reed were "two peas in a pod" who "got along really, really well" and shared many hobbies, Balcarras' brother, Josh, told CBC.

"When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her," he said.

Tyre said DNA testing also confirmed the four bears were not involved in a 2025 attack on a school group also in the Bella Coola area.

The incident in November of last year saw 11 people injured, two of them critically, while the bear responsible was never found.

"Today, we have learned from the BC Conservation Officer Service members that they have captured and euthanized the bears involved in the recent fatal attack," said Samuel Schooner, Elected Chief of the Nuxalk Nation, in a statement.

"We would like to thank the BC Conservation Officer Service for their dedication and hard work to resolve this incident. This attack has been deeply re-triggering for our community members as we continue to recover from last year's attack. Our thoughts remain with the victims' families."