Four grizzly bears have been linked through DNA evidence to a deadly attack on a mother and daughter in British Columbia, prompting Canadian wildlife officers to kill all four animals, officials announced Tuesday.
The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said forensic testing conclusively linked an adult female grizzly and her three offspring to the deaths of Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter, Selah Reed, 20, near Bella Coola.
The bears were captured over the weekend and killed in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety, according to a Nov. 10 statement from the agency.
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Investigators determined that the encounter likely involved predatory behavior, although officials did not elaborate on how the attack unfolded.
“This was a heartbreaking event for the families, the Nuxalk Nation and the Bella Coola community. We hope the efforts of everyone who responded, along with these findings, bring some measure of closure,” said Insp. Jeff Tyre in a news briefing.
More than a dozen conservation officers participated in the response, helping recover the victims, collect evidence and locate the bears while working in difficult terrain and weather conditions.
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Balcarras, an art therapist, and Reed went missing after taking a walk on the Snooka West Trail near their home.
Family members contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Balcarras missed a scheduled online meet-up. Investigators found her vehicle at the trailhead before recovering her body on Nov. 2 and Reed’s body on Nov. 3.
The agency said DNA testing also confirmed the four bears were not involved in a separate 2025 grizzly bear attack on a school group near Bella Coola that injured 11 people, including students and teachers.
The investigation has concluded, although officials said further analysis will examine the response and circumstances surrounding the attack.
The conservation service said fatal grizzly bear attacks involving predatory behavior are rare and encouraged people traveling in bear country to leash pets, travel in groups and learn how to reduce the risk of wildlife encounters.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.