One grizzly bear captured by conservation officers after Bella Coola attack

One grizzly bear has been captured by conservation officers near Bella Coola as the search continues for other bears after a recent attack that killed a mother and daughter.

The B.C. Conservations Officer Services wrote in a social media post on Friday “the bear will be safely cared for while assessments are completed,” while efforts continue to trap any bears that may be linked to the attack.

Culvert traps, which are large tubes open at one end and baited at the other, are one of several trapping techniques used by the service. In a culvert trap, once the bear pulls the bait, the door is triggered and closes. Traps usually contain bedding and water for the bear.

“Officers assess and adapt their response as needed, taking into consideration factors such as animal species, terrain, and location,” the service said in an email.

Any captured bears would be tested for DNA, physical measurements and animal-specific characteristics to determine if they were involved in the attack, the service said.

Any bear confirmed to be responsible will be killed to protect public safety. Unrelated bears will be released, the service said.

The number of grizzly attacks in B.C. spiked to eight last year, up from between one and three per year in previous years. Before the Bella Coola attack, there had been only two people killed by a grizzly bear in B.C. in the last two decades.

Dean Hildebrand, a forensic DNA expert and dean of the B.C. Institute of Technology’s school of computing and academic studies, said samples from the attack site would likely be collected and tested in a way that’s similar to a crime scene.

Bear hair, scat or saliva left behind after the attack would be tested to develop the bear’s DNA profile. But that’s only “half the battle,” he said. Officers would also need to trap and take samples from live bears in dangerous work that involves taking hair or blood samples. The samples are compared to the DNA profile from the scene.

The service will also test evidence from another attack in the same area last year, when a group of about 20 people from Acwsalcta school in the nearby Nuxalk Nation was attacked by a grizzly Officials previously said it was too early to speculate whether the same bear may have been involved in both attacks.

The service says other bear sightings have been reported in the area of the attack.

“We continue to urge the public to avoid the Snooka West Trail area,” they said.

With a file from Glenda Luymes and J.J. Adams