Two Women Killed in Suspected Grizzly Attack on British Columbia Trail

A mother and her 20-year-old daughter have been confirmed dead after a suspected grizzly bear attack on a trail near Bella Coola, a remote community on British Columbia's central coast. The Guardian reported that conservation officers now believe more than one bear may have been involved.

Officials have asked the public to stay out of the area while a search for the animals continues. Here is what is known so far.

Who were the victims?

They were Jenny Balcarras, an art therapist, and her daughter, Selah Reed. Fox News gave Balcarras's full name as Jennifer and her age as 48. According to the Guardian, relatives reported both women missing over the weekend. A fundraiser started by the family said Balcarras had recently moved to Bella Coola, a community of roughly 2,100 people, for a new job and a fresh start. She leaves behind three adult children and a grandchild.

The family described Reed as a young woman just beginning adulthood. Both women had previously lived in remote, rugged parts of the province, and for a time in Alaska, the Guardian reported.

What happened on the trail?

Fox News reported that the women went for a walk Saturday on the Snooka West Trail, minutes from their home. Relatives grew worried when Balcarras missed a scheduled online meeting, her brother, Matt Balcarras, told The Vancouver Sun. The family then asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for a welfare check on Sunday morning.

Officers found Balcarras's vehicle at the trailhead. Her body was recovered first, and searchers found Reed's body a day later, on Tuesday, according to Fox News. The trail area is about 8km (5 miles) east of Bella Coola, the Guardian said.

Was it definitely a grizzly, and how many bears?

Not yet. Inspector Jeff Tyre of the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said in a video update that there was evidence a bear may have been involved. Fox News reported that Tyre said it was not immediately clear whether one animal or several were responsible. The Guardian reported that he later said investigators were examining the possibility of more than one bear. The attack is described as suspected, and officials have not publicly detailed their evidence.

What happens to any bear that is caught?

Officers are working to locate and capture any bears involved, Tyre said. In a statement, conservation officials said any captured bear will be assessed. If it is found to have been involved, it will be put down under the province's human-wildlife conflict guidelines, which the officials said are meant to protect public safety.

Samuel Schooner, the elected chief of the Nuxalk Nation, said a trapping effort was under way. He asked media to avoid contacting community members.

Why does it matter for the community and visitors?

For people in and around Bella Coola, the immediate effect is a restricted area and an active hunt for the animals. Tyre urged the public to stay away, citing both the danger and the need to let officers work.

The region is informally known as the Great Bear rainforest, and the Guardian reported that abundant food sources make grizzlies a common sight there. Attacks remain exceedingly rare in the province, it said. But the community was already shaken. Last November, a grizzly emerged from the forest near 4 Mile, a Nuxalk community, and attacked a school group on a lunch break beside a walking trail. Eleven people were injured, some as young as nine. Despite an extensive search, that bear was never found.

Matt Balcarras told The Vancouver Sun he was shocked by where the attack happened, stressing that his sister and niece knew the area well. "They were not naive city folks," he said.

What have officials said?

Tyre offered condolences to the families. The province's premier-designate, Lorne Doerkson, called the news heartbreaking and said he was thinking of the victims' family and the Nuxalk Nation. Schooner also expressed sympathy for the family.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian, Fox News