Canadian mother and daughter mauled to death by multiple grizzly bears in rare predatory attack
A family of bears has been linked to the vicious deaths of a mother and daughter who were mauled whilst on a local hiking trail.
Four grizzly bears have been linked to the killing of a mother and daughter over the weekend, in what investigators believe was a rare predatory attack.
DNA tests from the site of the mauling were conducted to conclusively link a female grizzly bear and her three cubs to the killing of a mother and daughter in British Colombia.
“Our investigation also found that this attack likely involved predatory behaviour, which I can tell you is very rare,” Inspector Jeff Tyre said.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Twenty-year-old Selah Reed and her mother Jennifer Balcarras, 48, were found after Ms Reed’s sister reported the pair missing, asking the Royal Canadian Mounted Policy to conduct a welfare check.
Their remains were found about 150 metre apart, near a trail outside Bella Coola, a remote community about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver.
Ms Balcarras was found first on Monday before Ms Reed was discovered in a bear cache, where bears store food, on Tuesday afternoon.
“We don’t know how it started, but we know how it ended,” Inspector Tyre said.
Jennifer’s brother Josh Balcarras told CBC News the pair knew the trail well, saying it was just a five-minute drive from their home in Bella Coona.
All four bears have been euthanised, as Inspector Tyre said bears involved in fatal attacks are too dangerous to rehabilitate or relocate due to the extreme risk to public safety they now pose.
A school group was attacked in a similar area in November 2025, 11 people including children suffering injuries.
The local community has been left reeling from the deaths of Ms Balcarras and Ms Reed, a year on from the last bear mauling.
Authorities said the bears involved in the most recent attack were unrelated to last years’ attack.
