BELLA COOLA, British Columbia — Officials with the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) announced Wednesday that they have captured two additional grizzly bears in the central-coast region of Bella Coola, as part of an ongoing manhunt following a horrifying wildlife attack that left several schoolchildren and a teacher injured last week.
The captured bears — a sow and a male bear — are currently undergoing assessment to determine whether either was directly involved in the attack on a group of students and teachers from Acwsalcta School, a First Nations institution belonging to the Nuxalk Nation. Witnesses and conservation officers have long believed the assailant was likely a mother grizzly accompanied by her two cubs.
In the aftermath of the attack, 20 schoolchildren in Grades 4 and 5 and several staff were on a field-trip lunch break along a trail near “4 Mile” subdivision when the bear emerged from the forest and charged the group. Three pupils and a teacher required hospital treatment — some with critical injuries — while other minor injuries were treated on-site.
Authorities have emphasized that the investigation is not over. BCCOS officers continue to deploy drones with thermal cameras and trail-camera networks across rugged terrain to locate the mother bear and her cubs, believed to still be at large. Forensic evidence from the attack site is being analyzed in laboratories, and bears not conclusively linked to the incident will be released away from populated areas.
Local officials and community leaders have renewed calls for increased safety measures, especially as the bear-human conflict appears to be growing. Some have urged reconsideration of how grizzlies and human communities coexist — including stricter controls over forest access, better wildlife management policies, and enhanced early-warning systems for schools and rural settlements.
As families and survivors continue to recover, B.C. officials warn residents to avoid forest trails and report any bear sightings immediately. Dalena Reporters will track further developments, including whether the captured grizzlies are linked to the attack, and what long-term steps will be taken to prevent future tragedies.