An adult female grizzly bear and her three cubs were put to death in British Columbia, Canada, after DNA linked them to the deaths of a mother and daughter.
The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said on social media Tuesday that the four bears were captured over the weekend and that evidence from the places where the victims were found including animal DNA “conclusively linked” the four bears to the fatal attacks.
Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and daughter Selah Reed, 20, were found dead last week after going missing while hiking on the Snooka West Trail in Bella Coola, Canada, roughly 264 miles northwest of Vancouver. The area is just minutes away from their house by car.
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The encounter, the service said, “likely involved predatory behavior” and that “fatal grizzly bear attacks involving predatory behavior are rare.”
The younger woman’s remains were found in a “bear cache,” a location used by bears to store food, according to The Associated Press.
The service also concluded that the four bears captured and killed were not involved in a 2025 attack in Bella Coola against a group of elementary schoolers and school staff that left 11 injured and two in critical condition.
“We hope the efforts of everyone who responded, along with these findings, bring some measure of closure. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected. We ask that the families’ privacy be respected, in keeping with their wishes,” British Columbia Conservation Officer Service Inspector Jeff Tyre said.
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