A mother and her 20-year-old daughter have died in a suspected grizzly bear attack while walking on a trail near their home in British Columbia, Canada, wildlife officials say.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, an art therapist, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, a teaching assistant, were reported missing on Sunday, 1 November, after failing to return from a short afternoon walk on the Snooka West Trail, a short drive from their home in Bella Coola.

Search teams found Balcarras on Monday and Reed the next afternoon, according to the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service. The family announced the deaths; officials said evidence at the scene suggested an animal may have been involved.

More than one bear may be involved

Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the Conservation Officer Service, said it was not yet clear whether more than one bear was involved in the women's deaths. Officers are working to locate and capture any bears involved, and are carrying out DNA testing in an effort to identify the animal responsible. Any bear found to have taken part in the attack will be killed under provincial wildlife-conflict guidelines, the BBC reported.

Authorities have imposed a curfew on the community of about 2,000 people, roughly 270 miles north of Vancouver, and urged the public to stay away from the Snooka West Trail area while the search continues.

Second attack in a year

The deaths come less than a year after another grizzly attack near Bella Coola in November 2025, when a bear attacked a group of schoolchildren and teachers on a field trip, injuring 11 people, including three children who were badly mauled.

Balcarras's brother Josh told CBC the pair were "two peas in a pod" who shared many hobbies. Investigators are still collecting evidence and have not determined how the suspected attack unfolded.

Sources: USA Today, Mother, daughter found dead after suspected grizzly attack, 5 November 2026; CNN, Multiple grizzlies may have attacked mother and daughter found dead, Canadian authorities say, 4 November 2026.