Four Grizzlies Killed
“This was a heartbreaking event for the families, the Nuxalk Nation and the Bella Coola community,” said Insp. Jeff Tyre according to Fox News.
Canadian wildlife authorities euthanized four grizzly bears on Tuesday after forensic DNA testing linked an adult female and her three offspring to the fatal mauling of a mother and daughter in British Columbia, The New York Times reported. The victims, identified by family members as 48-year-old Jennifer Balcarras and her 20-year-old daughter Selah Reed, were discovered on a hiking trail near the coastal community of Bella Coola.
Balcarras and Reed vanish on Snooka West Trail
Balcarras and Reed went missing after setting out for a walk on the Snooka West Trail on Saturday, Oct. 31, according to [Fox News]. Family members contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Balcarras missed a scheduled online meet-up.
Investigators located Balcarras’s vehicle at the trailhead before recovering her body on Nov. 2. Authorities found Reed’s remains the following day. One of Balcarras’s brothers told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that the two women knew the trail well and were out for a casual walk.
Forensic testing links bears to the deaths
More than a dozen conservation officers worked through difficult terrain and weather over the weekend to capture the sow and her three cubs. The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said that forensic testing conclusively tied the four animals to the deaths.
Officers determined that the attack likely involved predatory behavior, prompting the decision to put the bears down to protect public safety. Testing also confirmed these four animals were not involved in a separate grizzly bear attack on a school group in November 2025 near Bella Coola.
Community Response and Curfew Lifted
Following the deaths, the Nuxalk Nation recommended an 8 p.m. curfew for residents while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducted night patrols. Samuel Schooner, the elected chief councilor of the Indigenous governing body, announced that officials lifted the curfew after the capture of the four bears. Night patrols will continue temporarily and undergo reassessment in the coming days.
Questions about the missing hikers and bear attacks
When did the victims go missing on the trail?
Jennifer Balcarras and Selah Reed went hiking on Saturday, Oct. 31, and were reported missing the next day when Balcarras missed a scheduled online meet-up.
Where were the remains of the two women found?
The bodies of the mother and daughter were discovered along a hiking trail near Bella Coola, a small coastal community northwest of Vancouver.
Were the euthanized bears involved in previous attacks?
No, DNA testing confirmed that the adult female and three cubs captured in November were not connected to a grizzly bear attack on a school group in the Bella Cools valley in November 2025.
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