British ColumbiaOfficers continue to look for a sow and her two cobs, the bears they believe were involved in the attack.Bears will be released away from the Central Coast community, BCCOS saysThe Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 28, 2025 12:41 PM EST | Last Updated: 11 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A grizzly bear is seen at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove, B.C., on March 10, 2020. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says tests found four captured grizzlies were not linked to the Bella Coola attack. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Four captured grizzly bears will be relocated after forensic evidence determined none of them were linked to an attack on a school group in Bella Coola, B.C., last week, according to conservation officers.The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said Friday that it will work with wildlife biologists and the provincial wildlife veterinarian to relocate the bears within their home range, but far from the Central Coast community, located about 420 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, as the crow flies.The bears were each captured this week in Bella Coola, during the search for a grizzly sow and her two cubs, which are believed to have attacked a group of 20 while on a field trip on Nov. 20 — three children and one teacher were seriously injured.It said drones equipped with thermal cameras are being used to try to locate any bears believed to be involved.The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is searching for grizzly bears in Bella Coola, B.C., after an attack on Nov. 20, 2025. (B.C. Conservation Officer Service/Facebook)There are about 13,000 grizzlies living in B.C., many of them in the Central Coast region.The area near 4 Mile subdivision on the traditional territories of the Nuxalk Nation where the attack occurred has what’s considered a pretty high bear population — about 22 bears per 1,000 square kilometres, according to provincial counts.Earlier this week, BCCOS Sgt. Jeff 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.Tyre said safely trapping animals is “probably the most dangerous thing we do.”He said at a news conference last week that no decisions have been made about whether the bears involved would be killed.BCCOS Insp. Kevin Van Damme said Monday that experts won’t know why the bear attacked until the bear is caught and more analysis is completed.People are asked to avoid the area and not try to search for the bears themselves.With files from CBC’s Shaurya Kshatri, Stephanie Hogan and Ian Hanomansing
4 grizzlies to be relocated after evidence finds no link to Bella Coola, B.C., attack
