Sow and 2 cubs likely involved in Bella Coola grizzly attack on school group: conservation officer

Witness accounts indicate there were 2 other grizzlies in the area at the time of the attack

Shaurya Kshatri · CBC News · Posted: Nov 22, 2025 3:06 PM PST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Three bears — a grizzly sow and two cubs — were “likely” involved in the attack on a school group in Bella Coola, B.C., according to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS).

In a news conference Saturday, BCCOS Sgt. Jeff Tyre said officers have been placing traps and snare sets in the area of the 4 Mile subdivision, but no bears have been captured.

“We have established that there was likely a sow and two cubs involved in the incident," Tyre said, adding the information is based on their investigation and witness accounts so far.

The attack, which happened on Thursday afternoon, left two people critically injured and two others seriously hurt, according to emergency officials.

The school group had stopped along a trail near the community for lunch when they were attacked, BCCOS Insp. Kevin Van Damme said in a Facebook post Friday.

Tyre said there are quite a few bears in the area and that the goal is to safely trap the animals, collect DNA and work with wildlife veterinarians to determine whether the bears caught are the ones involved in the attack.

An RCMP helicopter is using thermal imaging to help the search.

“Any bears that were not part of the incident will be relocated,” the conservation officer said.

Tyre said no decisions have been made about whether the bears involved would be killed.

“We will work with the veterinarians to determine the outcome once we identify which bears we have captured."

BCCOS says eight field conservation officers and a First Nations liaison officer are on the ground and, if needed, more resources are ready to be deployed.

“These investigations and trapping of the animals, a lot of work goes into it,” Tyre said. "This is probably the most dangerous thing we do. Please respect the situation and let us all do what we have to do.”

An officer examines a paw print in the Bella Coola area after Thursday's attack. (B.C. Conservation Officer Service/Facebook)

Residents are being asked to avoid the 4 Mile subdivision, to stay indoors and not search for the bears themselves.

"We can appreciate people want to be involved but this is a fluid and dangerous situation," said BCCOS Insp. Kevin Van Damme in Saturday's Facebook post.

In the wake of Bella Coola bear attack, some call for B.C. to revisit ban on grizzly hunt

Anyone with information or who wants to report a bear sighting is asked to contact the Report All Poachers and Polluters line at 1-877-952-7277.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shaurya Kshatri

Shaurya Kshatri is a web writer and reporter at CBC News Vancouver. You can reach him at shaurya.kshatri@cbc.ca