Mother and daughter killed in grizzly bear attack in Canada

Summarised from 4 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 4 Nov, 19:58 · Archive

A mother and daughter have been killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, British Columbia.

Jennifer Balcarras, an art therapist, and her 20-year-old daughter Selah Reed disappeared on the Snooka West Trail, about 8 kilometres east of Bella Coola, British Columbia. They were reported missing by relatives over the weekend. Their vehicle was found at a trailhead near the trail.

Balcarras's remains were discovered on Monday during a search effort. Reed's body was located a day later. The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said there was evidence suggesting a grizzly bear may have been involved in the deaths.

Conservation officers are investigating whether more than one bear was involved in the attack. Inspector Jeff Tyre said: 'Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this tragic time.' Officials said they are working to locate and assess any bears involved. 'If it is determined to have been involved in the attack, it will be dispatched in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety,' the conservation service said.

The Snooka West Trail is only about five minutes' drive from the women's home in Bella Coola, a community of roughly 2,100 people on the province's central coast. A family member described it as 'very close to town and it's not remote'. Balcarras was described as recently having moved to the area for a new job 'to start a new chapter' of her life. She left behind three adult children and a grandchild.

This is the second serious bear incident in Bella Coola in under a year. Last November, a grizzly attacked a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers, injuring eleven people, some as young as nine.

How it is being reported

• Mother and daughter die after suspected grizzly bear attack in CanadaAuthorities in British Columbia say evidence suggests an animal may have been involved in the women's deaths.BBC News · 4 Nov, 23:50
• Mother and daughter both killed in grizzly bear attack, Canadian authorities confirmConservation officers say the women reported missing over the weekend, were found near a trail near their home Search teams in Canada have discovered the body of a 20-year-old woman and confirmed that both she and her mother were killed in an attack that conservation officers now believe could have involved multiple grizzly bears. Late on Tuesday, conservation officers in British Columbia said the two women, who were reported missing over the weekend, were located near a trail a short distance from their home. Continue reading...The Guardian · 4 Nov, 19:42
• Mom and daughter killed in suspected bear attack on ‘casual walk’ minutes from homeA mom and her daughter were killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack while enjoying a "casual walk" in an area that wasn't remote.New York Post · 4 Nov, 13:41
• One dead and another missing in suspected grizzly bear attack in CanadaThe incident took place in the same province where a grizzly attacked a group of schoolchildren last November A mother is dead and her daughter is missing in western Canada after a suspected grizzly bear attack in the same community where a bear attacked a group of schoolchildren earlier in the year. On Tuesday, the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said in a social media post that it had launched a search for the two missing people on the weekend, and that during the search on Sunday an officer found the mother’s body. The search for her 19-year-old daughter is ongoing. Continue…The Guardian · 3 Nov, 22:08
• Grizzly bear 'attack' leaves one dead and one missing in British ColumbiaOfficials in British Columbia, Canada, say one person is dead and another is missing after a suspected grizzly bear attack in the Bella Coola areaThe Mirror · 3 Nov, 19:58

In this story: Jennifer Balcarras · Selah Reed · Bella Coola · British Columbia · British Columbia Conservation Officer Service · Jeff Tyre

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log