Mother and daughter killed in suspected grizzly bear attack in Bella Coola, Canada

BELLA COOLA, British Columbia, Canada: A mother and her daughter have been killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack. According to conservation authorities, the bodies of both women were found by Tuesday in a trail area near the town.

The family has named the victims as 48-year-old Jenny Balcaruss and her daughter Sela Reid. Jenny was an art therapist and had recently moved to Bella Coola for a new job.

According to the BC Conservation Officer Service, the family reported the two missing on 1 November. The Bella Coola RCMP and rescue teams then began a search. The first body was found on Monday afternoon in the Snootli West Trail area. Evidence at the scene suggested an animal was involved, so conservation officers were called. The second body was found during the search on Tuesday afternoon. Jenny’s body was found first and Sela’s a day later.

According to the family, Jenny had been in contact with relatives on Saturday, but she did not join an online meeting that night. When there was no reply, a relative asked police on Sunday morning to check on her welfare. Police found her vehicle parked at the start of the trail. According to Jenny’s brother, Matt Balcaruss, the trail is very close to her home and next to the town. It is not remote.

Inspector Jeff Tyre said authorities are also investigating the possibility that more than one bear was involved in the attack. He asked the public to stay away from the area to avoid danger and to avoid hampering the investigation.

Jenny was a mother of four and a grandmother. She had earlier worked as a counsellor at Bella Bella Community School. Sela was her youngest child. She worked as a support education worker and was studying part-time in an online programme at Athabasca University.