More than one grizzly bear may have been involved in the fatal attack that killed Jenny Balcarras and her 20-year-old daughter, Selah Reed, on a nature trail near Bella Coola, British Columbia.
The pair were reported missing on Sunday. Ms Balcarras, 48, was found dead on Monday afternoon, while a search by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and conservation officers located a second body on Tuesday.
Conservation officer Insp Jeff Tyre said investigators had not established whether a single bear or multiple animals were responsible. Any bears captured in the area will be assessed as part of the investigation, he said.
Family faces cost of two funerals
The deaths have left the family facing both emotional and financial strain. A fundraising appeal organised by relative Mary Melissa Smith described Ms Reed as a young woman “with her whole life ahead of her”.
Ms Balcarras, an art therapist, had recently moved to Bella Coola to pursue a new career and begin a new chapter in her life, the appeal said.
She leaves behind three young adult children, including a son and two daughters, as well as a grandchild. The fundraiser said she had not yet had the opportunity to build savings to help her family meet unexpected costs.
By Wednesday afternoon, the appeal had raised $33,514 CAD towards a $35,000 target to help pay for the two funerals.
Ms Balcarras’s brother described the mother and daughter as “two peas in a pod” who enjoyed hiking and knew the trail.
Previous grizzly attack in the same region
The deaths come nearly a year after a separate grizzly bear attack on a group of primary school pupils and teachers in the same region. One adult and three children were seriously injured in that incident.
The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service launched an extensive search for the animal, deploying 24 officers over two weeks. Officers also drove overnight to deliver animal samples to a forensic laboratory at the University of Alberta for testing.
Insp Kevin Van Damme said at the time that the authorities had never encountered a grizzly attack like it, describing the animal’s behaviour as “aggressive and unlike any other documented grizzly bear attack we have seen in B.C. or Canada”.
Authorities have not yet determined whether one or several bears were responsible for the latest deaths.
