DNA links 4 grizzly bears to deadly attack on mother and daughter in Canada, officials say
Four grizzly bears have been linked through DNA evidence to a deadly attack on a mother and daughter in British Columbia, prompting Canadian wildlife officers to kill all four animals, officials announced Tuesday.
Key points
- The sow and her three cubs were responsible for killing Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, earlier this month.
- The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said forensic testing conclusively linked an adult female grizzly and her three offspring to the deaths of Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter, Selah Reed, 20, near Bella Coola.
- The investigation has concluded, although officials said further analysis will examine the response and circumstances surrounding the attack.
The agency said DNA testing also confirmed the four bears were not involved in a separate 2025 grizzly bear attack on a school group near Bella Coola that injured 11 people, including students and teachers.
Additional details
- The conservation service said fatal grizzly bear attacks involving predatory behavior are rare and encouraged people traveling in bear country to leash pets, travel in groups and learn how to reduce the risk of wildlife encounters.
- More than a dozen conservation officers participated in the response, helping recover the victims, collect evidence and locate the bears while working in difficult terrain and weather conditions.
- GRIZZLY BEAR MAULS HIKER, DRAGS HIM DOZENS OF FEET ON GLACIER NATIONAL PARK TRAIL Balcarras, an art therapist, and Reed went missing after taking a walk on the Snooka West Trail near their home.
- The bears were captured over the weekend and killed in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety, according to a Nov.
- We hope the efforts of everyone who responded, along with these findings, bring some measure of closure," said Insp.
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