A 48-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter have died following a suspected grizzly bear attack while hiking near Bella Coola in British Columbia, Canada.

The victims were identified as Jennifer Balcarras and her daughter, Selah Reed, whose remains were discovered during a search operation involving conservation officers, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and local search-and-rescue teams.

The pair were reported missing on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after failing to return from an afternoon walk in the area.

According to the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service, Balcarras’s remains were discovered on Monday, November 2, in the Snooka West Trail area, while her daughter’s remains were recovered on Tuesday afternoon.

The discovery followed a search operation launched after family members raised concerns over their disappearance.

Authorities said evidence recovered from the scene suggested that a bear was involved in the deaths, prompting a search for the animal or animals suspected of carrying out the attack.

Inspector Jeff Tyre of the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said investigators were yet to establish whether one or multiple bears were responsible.

He explained that officers were working to locate and capture any bears potentially involved in the incident, adding that any animal captured would undergo an assessment.

Tyre said any bear confirmed to have participated in the attack would be put down in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety.

The conservation service also urged members of the public to stay away from the Snooka West Trail area while officers continued their investigation and search operations.

The incident has raised concerns among residents of Bella Coola, a community in British Columbia’s central coast region where grizzly bears are found.

The Nuxalk Nation, whose traditional territory includes the Bella Coola area, recommended an 8pm curfew for residents as part of precautionary measures following the deaths.

The community also arranged transport services and increased safety measures, while conservation officers and police continued patrols.

The latest attack has also revived concerns over a previous bear incident in the area in November 2025, when a grizzly bear attacked a group of schoolchildren and teachers, leaving several people injured. The bear involved in that incident was never captured.

Meanwhile, authorities are continuing efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Balcarras and Reed, including whether more than one bear was involved.