Wildlife officials found and euthanized a mother bear early Saturday that attacked a woman in downtown Manitou Springs two days ago.

Two cubs also were found and captured and will be cared for at a rehabilitation center until they can be released into the wild, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said.

Wildlife officers typically will try to relocate bears that get into trash or getting too accustomed to being near people, but if they return or act aggressively, the agency is forced to kill them.

In the Thursday attack, a woman said she was walking home late Thursday a block south of downtown when she encountered a large, adult bear.

The bear charged and knocked her to the ground from behind when she tried to escape, ripping her shirt and clawing her back. The woman, whose name has been released, was not seriously hurt and did not seek medical care.

Minutes later, another woman walking on the same block was chased by a bear. She managed to get away by running around a parked car, wildlife officials said.

The sow that was euthanized matched the description of the bear that attacked the woman and was caught near where the attack happened. Its remains were sent to a health lab for a necropsy and testing, according to officials.

Bear attacks are rare, but two have been reported in Colorado in the past two days.

Early Friday, a person was attacked after a bear broke into a home in Aspen. 

The homeowner went to check on noises in the house around 1:30 a.m. when they encountered a large bear that swiped their neck and head.

The person was taken to a hospital and went into surgery. They are in stable condition with non life threatening injuries.

A bear knocked a woman down and scratched her back in an attack Thursday, July 9, 2020, in Manitou Springs. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are searching for the bear.

Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife