BURST
B.C. conservation officers say the four grizzly bears captured in Bella Coola this week are not the ones involved in the recent attack on school children.
In an update posted on social media Friday, conservation officers said forensic evidence, which includes analyzing DNA, has ruled out the four bears, two of which were caught on Monday and the other two on Thursday.
In co-ordination with wildlife biologists and the provincial wildlife veterinarian, the bears will be relocated within their home range over the coming days, far from the community, the Conservation Officer Service said in the post.
Officers are again asking people to avoid the 4 Mile area, stay indoors, and not search for any bears themselves.
Conservation officers say they will continue to monitor bear activity in the Bella Coola area to ensure safety.
Nuxalk Nation elected Chief Samuel Schooner asked anyone who wants to help to contribute to a GoFundMe established to support the families of the victims.
Four people — three children and an adult — from Acwsalcta School were seriously injured and airlifted to Vancouver for treatment. There has been no update on their condition.
The Ministry of Environment said there have been 24 calls about human-wildlife conflict involving grizzly bears in the Bella Coola area this year, 18 of which were in the past three months.