B.C. Conservation Officer Service links four grizzlies to fatal attack on mother and daughter in Bella Coola

The Story

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says the bodies of art therapist Jenny Balcarras and her adult daughter, Selah Reed, were found last week about 150 metres apart in an area of trails outside Bella Coola, where local authorities had imposed a voluntary curfew and police had been escorting children to school.

Investigators later captured four grizzly bears in Bella Coola in recent days and determined that all four were involved in the deadly attack that claimed their lives this month.

In an online briefing, Insp. Jeff Tyre said DNA tests “had conclusively linked the female grizzly and her three yearling cubs to the attack,” adding that all four had been killed “to protect the public.”

Tyre said the investigation found the attack likely involved predatory behaviour, describing it as “very rare.” He said, “Our investigation also found that this attack likely involved predatory behaviour, which I can tell you is very rare.” “That is to say, we don’t know how it started, but we know how it ended.”

Tyre said the DNA results showed the bears were not involved in a 2025 attack in the same area in Bella Coola, about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver, in which a grizzly attacked a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers.

Nuxalk Nation elected Chief Councillor Tlhmtimut Samuel Schooner said the investigation into the recent attack “was carried out with the utmost care and respect.” He added, “This attack has been deeply re-triggering for our community members as we continue to recover from last year’s attack,” and said the community remains affected and plans to keep supports in place for as long as needed.

Tyre said grizzlies involved in fatal attacks on people “cannot be rehabilitated or relocated,” saying, “This type of behaviour represents an extreme risk to the public, and such bears are dispatched to protect the public and prevent similar attacks in the future.”