DNA links 4 grizzly bears to deadly attack on mother and daughter in Canada, officials say

Detailed summary

DNA evidence linked four grizzly bears to the deaths of Jennifer Balcarras and Selah Reed near Bella Coola, British Columbia, officials said.

Canadian wildlife officials say DNA testing linked an adult female grizzly and her three offspring to the deaths of a mother and daughter near Bella Coola, British Columbia. Investigators say the attack likely involved predatory behavior.

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.

BODY OF MISSING HIKER DISCOVERED OFF TRAIL AS INVESTIGATORS PROBE RARE DEADLY BEAR ENCOUNTER

An image showing a photo of Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her 20-year-old daughter Selah Reed, who were killed in a grizzly bear attack. (Facebook/Josh Kara Balcarras)

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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