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Bella Coola: Mother and daughter killed in suspected grizzly bear attack
A mother and daughter have died following a suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, British Columbia. Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, were reported missing on Sunday after failing to return from a short walk on the Snooka West Trail.
Search teams, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, discovered Balcarras’ remains on Monday and Reed’s on Tuesday. Authorities stated that evidence at the scene suggests animal involvement, though it remains unclear if one or multiple bears were responsible.
In response to the incident, authorities have imposed a voluntary 8 p.m. curfew in the community. The Nuxalk Nation has also announced that additional Mounties will escort students to school and conduct increased night patrols to ensure public safety.
Conservation officers have set traps in the area. If a bear is captured and confirmed to be involved in the attack, it will be killed in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict guidelines.
Entities
B.C. Conservation Officer Service · BC Conservation Officer Service · BC Coroners Service · Bella Coola · British Columbia Conservation Officer Service · Dan Atkinson · Jennifer Balcarras · Jenny Balcarras · Nuxalk Nation · RCMP · Royal Canadian Mounted Police · Selah Reed