A grizzly bear has been captured in Bella Coola, B.C., where a mother and daughter were killed in an attack last weekend. Whether the trapped bear is the one that committed the attack remains to be determined, according to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. The BCCOS shared the update on social media Friday evening, saying “efforts continue” to trap any bears that may have been responsible for the deaths of school art therapist Jenny Balcarras and her adult daughter Selah Reed over the weekend. “In co-ordination with wildlife biologists and the provincial wildlife veterinarian from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the bear will be safely cared for while assessments are completed,” the BCCOS said in its post. The service said “forensic DNA matching, distinctive physical measurements and other animal-specific characteristics” will be used to determine whether the captured bear was responsible for the attack. Conservation officers will also compare “forensic and other evidence” from the 2025 attack on a group of elementary school students in Bella Coola with evidence from any bear that is captured during the current search, the BCCOS said. “Any bear confirmed to be responsible will be dispatched to protect public safety; unrelated bears will be released,” the post reads. “A team of conservation officers remains on the ground in Bella Coola as trapping efforts continue. Bear sightings have been reported near the area of the attack, and the public is urged to continue avoiding the West Snooka Trail area.” The BCCOS said it remains “in close contact” with the families of the victims, the Nuxalk Nation and the local community.
