A mother and daughter went for a walk in Bella Coola and never came back. DNA ties a grizzly and her three cubs to their deaths
Four grizzly bears, a mother and her three yearling cubs, have been put down after DNA linked them to the deaths of art therapist Jenny Balcarras and her daughter Selah Reed near Bella Coola, on Canada's British Columbia coast. Conservation officers say the attack likely involved predatory behaviour, which is very rare, and it comes a year after another grizzly attack in the same community.
Three things to know
- Jenny Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed were reported missing after a walk near the Snooka West Trail outside Bella Coola on 1 November. Their remains were later found about 150 metres apart.
- The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service says forensic and animal DNA conclusively linked a female grizzly and her three yearling cubs to the deaths. All four have been killed.
- Officers believe the bears hunted the two women, rather than reacting to a surprise encounter. It is the second serious grizzly attack around Bella Coola in a year.
They went for a walk on a trail outside their small coastal town and did not come home.
The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said on Tuesday, 10 November local time, that DNA had conclusively linked a female grizzly bear and her three yearling cubs to the deaths of Jenny Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed near Bella Coola, about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver. All four bears were captured and put down 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 of the Conservation Officer Service said.
What happened?
Balcarras, an art therapist who had recently moved to Bella Coola for a new job, and her daughter were reported missing on 1 November after they went for a walk near the Snooka West Trail. The family raised the alarm when Reed missed her regular Saturday-night call with her sister.
Searchers found their remains near the trail, about 150 metres apart. Officers said they do not know how the encounter began.
The bears were caught over the weekend. Tyre said bears involved in an attack like this cannot be rehabilitated or moved elsewhere.
Why does “predatory” matter?
Most grizzly attacks are defensive: a bear surprised at close range, or a mother protecting cubs, attacks and then leaves. A predatory attack, in which a bear treats a person as prey, is far less common and far more dangerous, and it is the reason officers moved to remove the whole family group once the DNA matched.
Why is this community so shaken?
Bella Coola, a remote valley community and the home of the Nuxalk Nation, is still recovering from a grizzly attack in November 2025 on a group of primary school students and teachers, which left several people seriously injured, including children. DNA showed the bears killed this month were not involved in that attack.
“This attack has been deeply re-triggering for our community members,” Nuxalk Nation chief councillor Samuel Schooner said. Local authorities brought in a voluntary curfew while the bears were at large, and police escorted children to school. The Nation thanked conservation officers for finding the bears and urged residents to secure anything that might draw bears, such as rubbish and food.
What does it mean for visitors?
British Columbia’s coast draws hikers and wildlife tourists from around the world, including many Australians. The standard advice in bear country is to walk in groups, make noise, carry bear spray and know how to use it, and never leave food or rubbish where bears can reach it.
An online fundraiser for the family has raised more than C$79,000 of its C$80,000 goal. Its organiser, a member of the extended family, said the loss had left them “devastated”.
How we got here
The key moments that brought this story into focus. Open any moment for detail.
November 2025First attack
A grizzly attacks a group of school students and teachers near Bella Coola, seriously injuring several people.
1 November 2026Reported missing
Jenny Balcarras and Selah Reed fail to return from a walk near the Snooka West Trail.
November 2026Remains found
Searchers find the two women's remains near the trail, about 150 metres apart.
10 November 2026Bears linked by DNA
Conservation officers say a female grizzly and three cubs were linked to the deaths and have been put down.
What happens next
The Conservation Officer Service says its investigation found the attack was likely predatory; any further findings on how it began will come from the investigation. VNN will report any update from officers or the coroner.
Sources
- VNN
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