The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says evidence, including animal DNA, conclusively linked four bears to the fatal attack that killed a mother and daughter in Bella Coola.
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The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says evidence from the investigation, along with animal DNA, conclusively linked a sow and its three offspring to a deadly grizzly bear attack in Bella Coola.
Insp. Jeff Tyre of the BC Conservation Officer Service said the investigation “conclusively linked to a sow and its three offspring” and that, after considering the evidence under provincial human wildlife conflict response guidelines, “these bears have been dispatched to protect the public.”
Tyre said the attack “likely involved predatory behaviour,” which he described as very rare. “That is to say, we don’t know how it started, but we know how ended,” he said.
One person’s remains were found in the Snooka West Trail area last Monday. The second person’s remains were found on Tuesday afternoon during search efforts by conservation officers and the RCMP.
A GoFundMe page identified the victims as Jenny Balcarras and her daughter, Selah Reed. The fundraiser states Balcarras recently moved to Bella Coola to start a new career.
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