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A mother and daughter have died after a suspected grizzly bear attack in British Columbia, Canada, according to the BBC.
Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, were reported missing on 1 November after failing to return from what was expected to be a short afternoon walk, their family said.
Their remains were found in a trail area near Bella Coola, the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said. Evidence at the scene “suggested an animal may have been involved”. Conservation officers are working to track down any bears that may have been involved.
Balcarras’ remains were found on Monday and Reed’s on Tuesday during search efforts by conservation officers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the BCCOS, said it was not yet clear whether more than one bear may have been involved in the women’s deaths. He said any bear captured would be assessed and, if found to have been involved in the attack, “it will be dispatched in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety”.
Balcarras and Reed were “two peas in a pod” who “got along really, really well” and shared many hobbies, Balcarras’ brother, Josh Balcarras, told CBC. “When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her,” he said.
Balcarras had recently moved to Bella Coola to pursue a new career and begin a new chapter in her life, according to an online fundraiser set up to help the family with funeral costs.
Grizzly bears are listed as a species of “special concern” under federal legislation and are an important part of British Columbia’s landscape, according to Environmental Reporting BC. The provincial Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks estimates that between 10,000 and 13,000 grizzly bears live in the province and classifies them as vulnerable.
The ministry says conflicts between bears and people are “relatively rare” unless the animals are startled or protecting their cubs or food.
However, there have been several attacks in British Columbia in recent years. In October 2025, a grizzly bear injured two hikers in the McGregor Mountain area; one later died from critical injuries. The bear was subsequently found dead.
The following month, a bear attacked a school group in the Bella Coola area, injuring 11 people.
The BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) has said reports of conflicts between grizzlies and people have increased since the province introduced a ban on sport hunting grizzly bears in 2017.
“With no hunting pressure, grizzlies and humans will increasingly occupy the same spaces with inevitable consequences,” BCWF executive director Jesse Zeman said at the time.
