A mother and daughter found dead along a hiking trail in British Columbia this week may have been killed by more than one grizzly bear, Canadian wildlife authorities said. Relatives reported the victims went missing Sunday after they failed to return from the Snooka West Trail in Bella Coola, a small coastal community northwest of Vancouver. Search crews discovered one set of remains Monday afternoon and another about 500 feet away on Tuesday, authorities said. Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service, said in a virtual conference. news conference Wednesday that investigators were still working to locate a bear. “At this time,” he added, “we do not know if more than one bear may have been involved in the attack.” The area was home to a large population of grizzly bears, Tire said, and wildlife officials were trying to trap those near the trail. Tire did not name the victims, but Canadian media and a local teachers association identified them as Jennifer Balcarras and her daughter, Selah Reed. In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Josh Balcarras, one of Ms. Balcarras’ brothers, said she and her daughter were familiar with the trail and had been out for “just a casual walk” when the attack occurred. Officials said there was an active investigation and it was unclear if the two were carrying bear spray. The deaths in Bella Coola, a remote settlement, came about a year after a grizzly bear severely mauled three children and an adult on a school trip. That attack, in November 2025, occurred about two miles from the scene of the deaths this week. While the bear from last year’s attack was never captured, authorities were able to collect its DNA. Tire said officials would analyze samples collected from the bears that were trapped during the current investigation to determine if there was a match, although he cautioned that it was too early to know if the attacks were related. Any bear confirmed to have been involved would be killed “to protect public safety,” he said. In response to the deaths, the Nuxalk Nation, the indigenous governing body in Bella Coola, said it was recommending an 8pm curfew for residents. He also said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were conducting night patrols and escorting students from the school bus. Balcarras, a mother of four and grandmother, moved to Bella Coola in August to work as an art therapist and school counselor. In media interviews, her family described her as an experienced outdoorswoman who had previously lived in remote regions, including Alaska. “They weren’t naïve city people,” said Matt Balcarras, Ms. Balcarras’ brother, in an interview with The Vancouver Sun. The Central Coast Teachers’ Association said in a statement on social media that Ms Balcarras’ “kindness, dedication and care have left a lasting impression on our school community”. Reed, their youngest son, worked as an educational assistant and was described by relatives as an artist who loved ballet and the outdoors. “It was two drops of water,” Josh Balcarras told CBC. “When Jenny walked, Selah was right next to her.”
