A mother and daughter have been killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Authorities say multiple bears may have been involved.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, an art therapist, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, were reported missing by relatives on 1 November after they failed to return from what was expected to be a short afternoon walk near their home.

Their remains were found near the Snooka West trail area, approximately 8 kilometres east of Bella Coola, a remote coastal community of roughly 2,100 people. Balcarras's remains were discovered on Monday and Reed's on Tuesday during a search conducted by conservation officers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said evidence at the scene "suggested an animal may have been involved." Inspector Jeff Tyre of the BCCOS confirmed the service was investigating the possibility that more than one bear was responsible for the fatal attack.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this tragic time," Tyre said in a video posted online.

Tyre added that any bear captured in connection with the attack would be assessed and, if found to have been involved, "it will be dispatched in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety."

Tyre also urged the public to stay away from the area. "We appreciate people's concerns and the desire to assist but it is critical the public stay out of the area — both due to the danger and to allow officers to do their work," he said.

A fundraiser started by the family described Balcarras as a woman who had recently moved to Bella Coola for a new job and "to start a new chapter" of her life. She is survived by three adult children and a grandchild.

"[Jenny] was working toward building a future and had not yet had the opportunity to establish savings or put aside funds to help her family with unexpected expenses such as these," wrote relative Mary Melissa Smith. "Tragically, no one could have anticipated that her family would be faced with such an unimaginable loss."

The family also mourned Reed, who had her "whole life ahead of her" before the attack. "She was only beginning her journey into adulthood, making this loss even more heartbreaking," Smith wrote.

Balcarras's brother, Josh Balcarras, described the two women as "two peas in a pod" who "got along really, really well" and shared many hobbies. "When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her," he said.

Samuel Schooner, elected chief of the Nuxalk Nation, expressed condolences and confirmed that a trapping effort to locate the bear was under way. "Our thoughts are with the victim's family as they learn of this tragic event," he said. Schooner asked media to refrain from contacting community members.

British Columbia's premier-designate, Lorne Doerkson, called the news "heartbreaking" and said he was thinking of the victims' family and the Nuxalk Nation. "At a time of such profound grief and uncertainty, my thoughts are with everyone who is hurting and with all those supporting one another through an incredibly difficult day," he said.

Bella Coola sits at the end of a fjord along the province's central coast and is informally known as part of the Great Bear Rainforest. Abundant food sources make grizzly bears a common sight in the region.

Between 10,000 and 13,000 grizzly bears are estimated to live in British Columbia, according to the province's Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, which has classified the species as vulnerable. Grizzly bears are also listed as a species of "special concern" under federal legislation.

The ministry has noted that conflicts between bears and humans are "relatively rare" unless the animals are startled or protecting their cubs and food. However, a number of attacks have occurred in the province in recent years.

In October 2025, a grizzly bear injured two hikers in the McGregor Mountain area; one later died from critical injuries. The bear was subsequently found dead.

In November of the same year, a grizzly emerged from the forest near the Nuxalk community of 4 Mile and attacked a school group on a lunch break alongside a walking trail, injuring 11 people, some as young as nine years old. Despite an extensive search, that bear was never located.

The BC Wildlife Federation has said that reports of grizzly-human conflicts have risen since the province introduced a ban on hunting grizzly bears for sport in 2017. "With no hunting pressure, grizzlies and humans will increasingly occupy the same spaces with inevitable consequences," the federation's executive director, Jesse Zeman, said at the time.