British ColumbiaB.C. conservation officers say they have called off their search for a grizzly bear responsible for a Nov. 20 attack that injured three children and an adult in Bella Coola. It says eight bears have been captured in their search, but forensic testing shows none were involved in the incident.The service says 8 bears have been captured but none were responsible for Nov. 20 incident.Andrew Kurjata · CBC News · Posted: Dec 05, 2025 7:49 PM EST | Last Updated: 12 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The three students and one teacher who were attacked by a grizzly bear were from the Acwsalcta School in Bella Coola, B.C. (Dillon Hodgin/CBC)B.C. Conservation Officer Service says it has called off its search for a bear responsible for an attack on a group of school children in Bella Coola, B.C. on Nov. 20.The news comes after forensic analysis determined four grizzlies captured this week, an adult female and three young, were not linked to the attack, which left three children and one teacher badly injured while out on a school field trip.In total, eight bears were captured and tested as officers searched for the one responsible. All of them are being relocated away from the community. But, the service says in a social media update, with no new bear sightings and with grizzlies moving into denning season, they are “no longer actively trying to capture bears, and equipment has been removed.”The captured bears that are being relocated will be equipped with GPS collars for monitoring purposes.An update on the status of those injured in the attack has not been provided.A relationship of respect: Nuxalk memberThe attack was deemed highly unusual by both conservation officers and members of the Nuxalk Nation, who say they have long co-existed with grizzlies and that the school group was well-acquainted with bear safety.Father of girl involved in grizzly attack reflects on coexistence with natureJason Moody is father of one of the children involved in the attack by a grizzly bear on Nuxalk students and teachers near Bella Coola, B.C. He says people from his community have been living alongside bears for thousands of years, and this recent event shows the need to be in balance with nature. While some groups have used the attack as an opening to reopen the debate on whether to lift a ban on hunting grizzlies, conservationists and the Nation have said there is little evidence that the hunting ban is responsible for the attack.”We’ve lived alongside them for thousands of years,” Jason Moody, the father of one of the girls in the school group, and Nuxalk’s fisheries and wildlife planning coordinator told CBC News in a Nov. 28 interview. “Our relationship is one of respect, and they’re revered and honoured.”Hopes for co-existenceFor more than two weeks, officials scoured the region trying to find the bear responsible for the attack, setting traps and going on patrols. Residents were urged to not travel alone, with rides offered to those who need them.In total, the BCCOS says, 24 officers were sent out in rotating teams, including some who drove hundreds of kilometres to hand-deliver samples collected from captured bears to a forensics lab at the University of Alberta.On Thursday night, the Nuxalk Nation led an information session on the attack and search for the offending bear, which they say was attended by more than 100 people.The details of that meeting, however, are being kept private to the community, the Nation says, out of respect for those impacted.The BCCOS said it will continue to work with Nuxalk Nation to find solutions allowing residents to safely co-exist with bears. It will continue to have an officer posted in the community full time.In his Nov. 28 interview, Moody said when food is abundant, it’s easier for bears and people to live alongside each other. But, he said, “the bears have been stressed when the food is not available.””A lot of people are wondering, where do we go from here?” he said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”With files from the Canadian Press
Conservation officers call off search for grizzly in Bella Coola attack
