Bella Coola grizzly captured as officers test whether it killed mother and daughter

Conservation officers in British Columbia have trapped a grizzly bear near Bella Coola and are testing whether it is linked to the attack that killed Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, the BC Conservation Officer Service said in a Facebook post dated Friday, Nov. 6.

The community of Bella Coola has been under a curfew while the search continued. A bear confirmed responsible will be dispatched; unrelated bears will be released.

The mother and daughter went for a walk on the Snooka West Trail and did not return. The service described the case as a suspected grizzly bear attack. Officers will use DNA matching and distinctive physical measurements to compare the captured bear with evidence from the 2025 Bella Coola attack, which left several school children and one adult seriously injured.

A team of conservation officers is still on the ground, and trapping continues. The public has been urged to avoid the West Snooka Trail area, where several bear sightings near the attack site have been reported.

The service said the event was "devastating and deeply unfortunate" and asked that conversations about it be grounded in compassion, respect and care for the families, the Nuxalk Nation and the wider community. Balcarras had moved to Bella Coola in August to start a job as a school counsellor. A funeral service for Reed and Balcarras is set for Thursday, Nov. 12, in Cochrane, Alta. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with funeral costs and other expenses.

The service has not confirmed whether the captured bear is the one responsible.

BC Wildlife Federation says grizzly-human conflicts have risen since the province banned grizzly sport hunting in 2017.