Mother and daughter die after suspected bear attack in British Columbia

A mother and daughter have died after a suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola in British Columbia, prompting conservation officers to search for any bears involved.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and Selah Reed, 20, were reported missing on 1 November after failing to return from a short afternoon walk, their family said. Searchers from the BC Conservation Officer Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police found Balcarras’s remains on Monday and Reed’s on Tuesday.

The conservation service said evidence at the trail area where they were found suggested an animal may have been involved. It has not established whether one or more bears were involved, inspector Jeff Tyre said.

Tyre said any bear captured would be assessed. If it was found to have been involved in the attack, it would be killed under provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines, he said, citing public safety.

The women’s family described them as close. Balcarras’s brother, Josh, told CBC they were “two peas in a pod” who shared many hobbies. “When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her,” he said.

British Columbia is estimated to have between 10,000 and 13,000 grizzly bears. The province classifies them as vulnerable, while federal legislation lists them as a species of special concern. The provincial environment ministry says conflicts between bears and people are relatively rare, except when bears are startled or protecting their cubs or food.

The deaths follow other bear attacks in the province. In November 2025, a bear injured 11 people in an attack on a school group in the Bella Coola area.