4 grizzly bears linked by DNA to deadly attack on mother and daughter in Canada

Four grizzly bears captured in western Canada were responsible for killing a mother and her adult daughter this month in what investigators believe was a rare predatory attack, wildlife officials said Tuesday.

DNA tests conclusively linked a female grizzly and her three yearling cubs to the deaths of Jenny Balcarras, 48, and her 20-year-old daughter, Selah Reed, the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said. All four bears were killed to protect the public.

“Our investigation also found that this attack likely involved predatory behavior, which I can tell you is very rare,” Inspector Jeff Tyre told an online briefing.

“That is to say, we don’t know how it started, but we know how it ended.”

The women’s remains were found about 150 meters (490 feet) apart near a trail outside Bella Coola, a remote community about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of Vancouver.

Family members raised the alarm after Reed missed a routine Saturday night call with her sister. Searchers found her mother’s remains first, then discovered Reed’s remains in a bear cache, where bears store food.

Tyre said the bears were not involved in a separate grizzly attack last November on a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers in the same area. Eleven people were injured, including two critically.

The latest killings have shaken the Nuxalk Nation community, which is still recovering from last year’s attack. Local authorities imposed a voluntary curfew, and police escorted children to school.

“This attack has been deeply re-triggering for our community members as we continue to recover from last year’s attack,” said Tlhmtimut Samuel Schooner, the Nuxalk Nation’s elected chief councilor.

He said community support services would remain available as long as needed.

Tyre said bears involved in fatal attacks cannot be rehabilitated or relocated because they pose an extreme risk to public safety.