Conservation officers hunt bear after mother and daughter killed while hiking

A Canadian woman and her daughter were killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack over the weekend while hiking on a trail near their home, authorities said.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, an art therapist, and her daughter, Selah Reed, 20, disappeared Saturday after walking on the Snooka West Trail, minutes from their home in Bella Coola, British Columbia.

Relatives became concerned when Balcarras failed to show up for an online meeting scheduled for Saturday, her brother, Matt Balcarras, told the Vancouver Sun.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her 20-year-old daughter, Selah Reed, were killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack. (Facebook/Josh Kara Balcarras)

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Having failed to contact the two men, relatives requested a welfare check from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Sunday morning.

Authorities discovered Balcarras’ vehicle parked at the trailhead. Her body was found Monday and search teams found Reed’s body Tuesday.

A grizzly bear in Jasper National Park, Canada. A Canadian woman and her daughter were killed in a suspected bear attack in British Columbia over the weekend, conservation officials said. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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“There was evidence to suggest a bear may have been involved,” Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service, said in a video update posted to social media.

Tire noted that officers were actively working to “locate and capture all bears involved” and said it was not immediately clear if more than one animal was responsible.

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“Any bears captured will be evaluated,” conservation officials added in a statement. “If it is determined that he was involved in the attack, he will be sent in accordance with provincial guidelines for responding to human-wildlife conflicts to protect public safety.”

Matt Balcarras said he was shocked by the location of the attack, noting that his sister and niece had experience in the area.

“They weren’t naive city dwellers,” he said. “They were strong women who lived life.”

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The tragic encounter occurred less than a year after a grizzly bear injured 11 people, including fourth and fifth graders, during a school field trip near Bella Coola.