Mother and Daughter Found Dead After Walk Near Bella Coola, Canada: Officials Say More Than One Grizzly May Have Been Involved
A mother and daughter have been found dead after going missing on a walk near Bella Coola, on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, went for a walk on the afternoon of October 31 on the Snooka West Trail, a five-minute drive from their home, and did not return that evening. Relatives reported them missing on November 1. Searchers found the mother's remains on November 2 and the daughter's on the afternoon of November 3.
Inspector Jeff Tyre of the BC Conservation Officer Service said in a video message that evidence at the scene suggested an animal may have been involved, and relatives say the two women were killed in a grizzly bear attack. It is not yet clear whether more than one bear was involved. Officers are working to locate and capture any bears involved; captured bears will be assessed, and an offending bear will be killed to protect public safety. Officials have not yet formally confirmed the cause of death or the details of the attack. The nearby Nuxalk Nation has established a recommended curfew for residents, and officials have urged the public to stay away from the trail area.
Balcarras was an art therapist who had moved to Bella Coola a few months earlier and joined the local school community as a counselor in August. Her brother Matthew Balcarras said his sister was incredibly strong and had lived in many difficult, remote places, including Alaska. Relatives have set up a fundraiser for funeral costs; Balcarras leaves behind three young adult children and a grandchild.
Bella Coola, about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver, is known for its large population of grizzly and black bears, and residents commonly see bears near their homes. In November last year, a grizzly attacked a group of 20 elementary school students and teachers in the same area, badly injuring several people including children; the bear involved in that attack was never captured.
Source: BC Conservation Officer Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省贝拉库拉一带的步道与山野。Christopher Michel 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A hiking trail in the Bella Coola area of British Columbia, Canada. By Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
