Mother and daughter die after suspected grizzly bear attack in Canada

Meanwhile, a mother and daughter have died after a suspected grizzly bear attack in the Canadian province of British Columbia, their family has confirmed.

Key points

• Between 10, 000 and 13, 000 grizzly bears are estimated to live in the province, according to the province's Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.
• Balcarras' remains were discovered on Monday and Reed's on Tuesday during search efforts by conservation officers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
• A grizzly bear injured two hikers in the McGregor Mountain area in October 2025, one of whom died afterwards due to critical injuries.
• Their remains were discovered in a trail area in Bella Coola, according to the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS).
• According to The BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) has, reports of grizzly-human conflicts have risen since the province introduced a ban on hunting grizzly bears for sport in 2017.

In practice, the women – identified as Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20 -were documented missing on 1 November when they did not return from what was supposed to be a short afternoon walk, the family stated.

Their remains were discovered in a trail area in Bella Coola, according to the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS). It stated evidence at the scene "suggested an animal may have been involved". Conservation officers are working to track down any bears involved.

Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the BCCOS, remarked it was not yet clear if more than one was potentially involved in the women's deaths.

He continued that any captured bear would be assessed and if it is identified 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 plenty of hobbies, Balcarras' brother, Josh Balcarras, informed CBC. "When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her, " he remarked.

Balcarras had lately moved to Bella Coola to pursue a new career and commence a new chapter in her life, according to an online fundraiser to support the family with funeral costs.

Grizzly bears are listed as a species of "special concern" under federal legislation, and are an significant part of the British Columbia landscape, according to Environmental Reporting BC, external.

Between 10, 000 and 13, 000 grizzly bears are estimated to live in the province, according to the province's Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. It has classified them as vulnerable.

According to the ministry, conflicts between bears and humans are "relatively rare" unless the animals are startled or protecting their cubs and food.

But there have been a number of attacks in British Columbia over recent years.

For context, a grizzly bear injured two hikers in the McGregor Mountain area in October 2025, one of whom died afterwards due to critical injuries. The bear was afterwards identified dead.

In practice, the after month, a bear attacked a school group – additionally in the Bella Coola area – injuring 11 individuals.

"With no hunting pressure, grizzlies and humans will increasingly occupy the same spaces with inevitable consequences, " the BCWF's executive director Jesse Zeman remarked at the time.

For now, mother and daughter die after suspected grizzly bear attack in Canada remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.