More than one grizzly bear may have been responsible for a savage attack that killed a mother and her 20-year-old daughter on a nature trail in Canada.
Jenny Balcarras, 48, and her daughter, Selah Reed, were found dead near Bella Coola, British Columbia, after they were reported missing on Sunday.
Balcarras' remains were discovered Monday afternoon, while a search involving Royal Canadian Mounted Police and conservation officers led to the discovery of a second body Tuesday.
Conservation officer Insp. Jeff Tyre said investigators have not ruled out the possibility that multiple grizzly bears were involved in the fatal attack, CTV News reported.
He said it was 'not yet clear if more than one bear was involved,' adding that any bears captured in the area would be assessed as part of the investigation.
The deaths have devastated the family.
A GoFundMe organized by relative Mary Melissa Smith described Reed as a young woman 'with her whole life ahead of her.'
Her mother—an art therapist—had recently relocated to Bella Coola to pursue a new career and start a new chapter.
More than one grizzly bear may have been responsible for a savage attack that killed a mother and her 20-year-old daughter on a nature trail in Canada
Jenny Balcarras, 48, and her daughter, Selah Reed, were found dead near Bella Coola, British Columbia, after they were reported missing on Sunday
'She 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,' Smith wrote.
Balcarras leaves behind three young adult children, including a son and two daughters, as well as a grandchild.
The fundraiser said the surviving family members are now struggling with the emotional and financial toll of arranging two funerals.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the campaign had raised $33,514 CAD toward its $35,000 goal.
The fatal attack comes nearly a year after another grizzly bear ambushed a group of elementary school students and teachers in the same region.
That attack involved a group of 20 students and teachers, leaving one adult and three children seriously injured.
The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service subsequently launched an extensive search for the animal, deploying 24 officers over two weeks.
Some officers drove overnight to deliver animal samples to a forensic laboratory at the University of Alberta for testing.
The deaths have devastated the family. Balcarras leaves behind three young adult children, including a son and two daughters, as well as a grandchild
The fundraiser said the surviving family members are now struggling with the emotional and financial toll of arranging two funerals
Insp. Kevin Van Damme said investigators had never encountered a grizzly bear attack quite like it.
'This was an extraordinary response to an extraordinary attack — our investigation determined the behavior and actions of this bear were aggressive and unlike any other documented grizzly bear attack we have seen in B.C. or Canada,' he said at the time.
Authorities have not established whether one or multiple bears were responsible for the latest deaths.
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