Four bears blamed, and put down, after fatal mauling in Canada

Four grizzly bears have been identified as responsible for the fatal mauling of a mother and her 20-year-old daughter near a hiking trail in western Canada, authorities announced on Tuesday. The bears, comprising an adult sow and her three cubs, were subsequently put down according to a statement from the provincial wildlife services. Forensic testing confirmed the involvement of the identified bears in the attack that claimed the lives of Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, earlier in the month.

Insp. Jeff Tyre of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service informed the CBC News channel that the circumstances of the attack appeared to involve predatory behaviour, a phenomenon considered to be quite uncommon. Tyre expressed hope that the combined efforts of all response personnel, alongside the corroborating findings, would provide some degree of closure to the affected community. The family's thoughts remain with everyone impacted by the tragedy.

The victims had been out for a walk near their residence close to the town of Bella Coola when the incident occurred. The statement emphasized that fatal grizzly bear attacks involving predatory behaviour are rare occurrences. During this season, grizzly bears tend to be particularly aggressive as they focus on increasing their fat reserves in preparation for winter hibernation.

Just last November, a school group was attacked by a bear in the same vicinity, resulting in the injury of 11 individuals, some of whom suffered serious injuries. However, the four bears implicated in the recent fatal attack were not involved in the earlier incident.