A forensic DNA expert says investigators in Bella Coola, B.C., will likely use animal DNA techniques similar to those used at human crime scenes as the search for the bears continues.
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A forensic DNA expert says investigators assessing the scene of this week’s deadly bear attack in Bella Coola, B.C., will likely use techniques to identify the culprit animal that are very similar to those used in human crime-scene investigations.
Dean Hildebrand, who oversees the accredited forensic DNA lab at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, said the main practical difference is that animal scene investigators don’t need to worry about cross-contaminating bear samples with their own DNA.
Hildebrand said that while he is not involved in the Bella Coola investigation, investigators would collect samples—including saliva, blood or hair—to be tested in a forensic lab.
He said the lab would compare the DNA sequence from those samples with any animals captured.
The BC Conservation Officer Service continues its search for a bear or bears that killed a mother and daughter in Bella Coola.
School art therapist Jenny Balcarras and her adult daughter, Selah Reed, were reported missing on Sunday, and their bodies were later found near a set of trials.
The Conservation Officer Service previously said DNA from the attack would be compared to samples collected in the same area last year after a grizzly attacked a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers, leaving an adult and three children badly injured.
In its latest Wednesday social media update, the Conservation Officer Service said no bears had yet been captured, adding that “various trapping techniques are being implemented as these efforts continue, with officers being rotated into the community.”
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