NEW CASTLE, Colo. — A woman who was putting the lid on her hot tub was attacked by a bear in New Castle, Colorado.
"While fixing the lid, she noticed a bear coming out of a tree and charging at her," Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) stated.
The woman was able to get back inside and call 911.
According to police, once officers arrived at the scene, they found the woman, who had been swiped by a female bear.
She had serious injuries to her arm, CPW stated. The woman was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital.
Police located four bears — a sow and her three cubs — all in close proximity to the home.
They notified wildlife officials, which instructed police to shoot and kill the sow, which officers did.
Wildlife officers arrived in the neighborhood around 3 a.m.
Based on the information known at the time, they could not determine if the sow or a cub had attacked the woman, and they decided to euthanize the three cubs upon finding them.
They found one cub and euthanized it. The two others were in a tree, but officers waited to euthanize them.
During the investigation, CPW determined the sow was the only bear involved in the attack, so the two other cubs were tranquilized and sent to a rehabilitation facility.
The sow and cubs had been spotted in the area previously, but did not show any aggressive behavior, officials said.
"We are deeply saddened by this incident and our hearts go out to the citizen that was attacked, as well as the bears involved," the police department said.
This story was originally reported by Stephanie Butzer on thedenverchannel.com.
